Ole Miss Alumni Review - Winter 2013

Ole Miss Alumni Review Winter 2013 Vol. 62 No. 1

Winter 2013

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The Ice Age Begins Freeze seizes first bowl win

Alumnus keeps C Spire wired (and wireless) for success Ole Miss turns historic moment into yearlong commemoration Into

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features

20 50 Years of Progress Ole Miss turns historic moment into yearlong commemoration

28 Wise Counsel University attorney brings more than legal advice to the table

By Rebecca Lauck Cleary

32 Inspired

Innovation Alumnus keeps C Spire wired (and wireless) for success

By Annie Rhoades

36 Renewed Passion

departments 6 From the Circle

The latest on Ole Miss students, faculty, staff and friends

16 Calendar 42 sports

Bianco picked for USA Baseball Tennis teams ranked high

46 arts and culture 48 Rebel Traveler 52 alumni news

on the cover

2012 football season highlights caught on camera

On the cover: Capping off the 2012-13 season with a bowl victory dunk, Coach Hugh Freeze has reignited fans’ and players’ passion for Ole Miss football.

Photo by Joshua McCoy

Ole Miss Alumni Review P ublisher TimothyL.L.Walsh Walsh(83, (83) Timothy 91) Editor Jim Urbanek II (97) jim@olemiss.edu A ssociate Editor and A dvertising Director Tom Speed (91) Annie Rhoades (07, 09) tom@olemiss.edu annie@olemiss.edu C ontributing Editor Benita Whitehorn A ssistant Editorial A rt Director Brandon Irvine Amy Howell Designer C ontributors Eric Summers Andrew Abernathy (08, 10), Kevin Bain (98), Pablo Corona, Rebecca Lauck Cleary C orrespondents (97), Mitchell Diggs (82), Jay Ferchaud, Kevin Bain (98), Tobie Baker (96), Erin Garrett (11), Robert Jordan (83), Bill Rebecca Lauck Cleary (97), Lexi Combs, Kallenberg, Nathan Latil, Jack Mazurak, Mitchell Diggs (82), Jay Ferchaud, Joshua McCoy, Deborah Purnell (02), Michael Harrelson, Robert Jordan (83), Jerra Scott, Edwin Smith (80, 93) Nathan Latil, Jack Mazurak, Purnell 02) ODeborah fficers of The U(MA niversity Edwin Smith (80), MattA Westerfield of M ississippi A lumni ssociation of

Larry ofBryan The U(74) niversity Officers M ississippipresident A lumni A ssociation Jimmy Brown (70) Bill May (79), president president-elect Richard Noble Trentice Imbler(68), (78) president-elect vice president Larry Bryan (74), (94) Kimsey O’Neal Cooper presidentmember athleticsvice committee Glenn (77), T. Mike Michael Glenn (77) athletics committee member

Sam Lane (76), A lumni A ffairs Staff, O xford athletics committee member Timothy L. Walsh (83, 91), executive director A lumni A ffairs Staff, O xford Joseph Baumbaugh, systems analyst III Timothly L. Walsh (83), executive director Allie Bush (12), systems Web developer Joseph Baumbaugh, analyst III Clay Cavett (86), associate director Clay Cavett (86), associate director Martha Dollarhide, systems programmer II Martha Dollarhide, systems programmer Sheila Dossett (75), senior associate director II Julian Gilner (04,(75), 07),senior assistant director Sheila Dossett associate Port Kaigler (06), alumni assistant director and senior(04), club assistant coordinator Julian Gilner director Annette KellyM. (79), accountant Sarah Kathryn Hickman (03), Steve Mullen (92), assistant director assistant director for marketing marketing Port Kaigler for (06), alumni assistant and Annie Rhoades (07, 09), publications editor club coordinator Anna Smith (05), alumni assistant Annette Kelly (79), accountant and club Tom Speed (91),coordinator publications editor Scott 08),assistant assistantdirector director ScottThompson Thompson(97, (97), JimUrbanek Urbanek(97), (97),assistant assistantdirector directorfor Jim forcommunications communications RustyWoods Woods(01), (01),assistant associatedirector directorfor Rusty forinformation informationservices services James Butler (53, 62), director emeritus James Butler (53), director emeritus (60, 66),director WarnerWarner Alford Alford (60), executive executiveemeritus director emeritus The Ole Miss Alumni Review (USPS 561-870) is published published quarterly quarterly by

by The the University is University of of Mississippi 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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fromthe

Chancellor Dear Alumni and Friends,

As we forge ahead into a new year, it’s a great time to look back, reflect on the challenges and progress of the previous year, and prepare to build on our accomplishments. In many ways, 2012 was a benchmark year for the University of Mississippi, and the successes we recorded will lead to even greater opportunities throughout this year.

Last fall, we welcomed more than 21,500 students to our campuses, the largest enrollment ever for a Mississippi university.

Even better, the average ACT score of our incoming freshmen hit 23.8, the best mark in school history and evidence that our efforts to attract the brightest and most capable students are bearing fruit. Around the same time, Forbes acknowledged the quality of an Ole Miss education as the university moved up to No. 18 on the publication’s annual listing of the nation’s “Best Value Colleges.”

The Hearin Foundation awarded more than $5.7 million to our School of Education for programs to improve teacher training, establish a new curriculum in early childhood education, develop outreach programs in literacy education, and expand programs in mathematics and science education. Separately, the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Department of Mathematics both received $400,000 grants from the Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need program to recruit, support and graduate more minority doctoral candidates in STEM fields. Together, these awards will help us boost the state’s educational system, fill a critical national need for STEM professionals and provide economic opportunities for all Mississippians.

In athletics, both the men’s and women’s tennis teams hosted NCAA Regionals, former Rebel Brittney Reese won a gold medal in the 2012 Summer Olympics, our football team completed a remarkable turnaround with a bid to the BBVA Compass Bowl, and the basketball Rebels opened the season with an explosive new offense that has fans excited. New Athletics Director Ross Bjork has brought an infectious energy to all our sports programs, and we expect even better events on the playing fields in coming years. The Forward Together capital campaign is progressing nicely, and we look forward to breaking ground soon on a new basketball arena and an expansion of our Indoor Practice Facility.

Working together in the coming year, we will build on these successes. I invite you to join us in our efforts to make Ole Miss the best it can possibly be. Lydia joins me in wishing you a successful and prosperous 2013.

Sincerely,

Daniel W. Jones (MD 75) Chancellor

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fromthe

President

Dear Alumni and Friends,

“When we get on the same page, the potential is impressive.” Someone with a long history of involvement with Ole Miss said these words while in Birmingham for the BBVA Compass Bowl. This quote is certainly pertinent to the incredible support in Birmingham for our football team, but it is no less applicable to every facet of our university.

As we look back on 2012, most would agree that it was a good year. I rarely talk to anyone who is not optimistic about the direction of our football program under Coach Hugh Freeze. I hear similar positives about our overall athletics program under Ross Bjork’s leadership. Importantly, this optimism seems equally strong off the playing fields as excitement about the direction of our university and its future is widespread.

Despite continued challenges in the economy, private support for Ole Miss totaled $122.6 million in fiscal year 2012. Every contributor should take pride in the margin of excellence these dollars provide for scholarships, academic support and athletics. Our enrollment is at its highest level ever as are the average ACT scores and GPAs of our freshman class. National rankings that were published in 2012 continue to reflect positively on our university. We not only received national accolades for our beautiful campus and for campus safety, but we also were recognized among the top 20 Best Value Colleges and compared favorably among our peers in overall rankings.

While many people have played a meaningful role in the successes outlined above, I have been impressed by the number of alumni who have asked how they can be even more involved. Obviously, we need all alumni to join the Alumni Association or renew their membership and to encourage others to do so as well. Active participation in one of our 62 local clubs is also important. These clubs not only serve as a great resource for networking and socializing in local areas, but they also play a valuable role in student recruiting, scholarship funding and other important initiatives. To check your membership status and see a list of local clubs and contacts, please visit the Alumni Association website at www.olemissalumni.com.

In addition, we have a large number of energized, intelligent students who want and need career guidance. This is a great opportunity to help, whether as a mentor to a student or through helping secure internships or other employment opportunities.

In his 2010 inaugural address, Chancellor Jones asked all of us to “stay focused on keeping the main thing the main thing.” At Ross Bjork’s introductory press conference last March, Bjork stated, “Anyone who cares about this institution, I ask one thing of you: Pull the rope in the same direction.” Thank you for everything you have done and will do for the university. I look forward to 2013 being an exceptional year for all things Ole Miss.

Best regards,

Larry H. Bryan (BBA 74)

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The latest on Ole Miss students, faculty, staff and friends

Star Billing

FORD CENTER MAIN THEATER NAMED AFTER RENOWNED COUPLE

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he story of Sam Haskell III (BA 77) and Mary Donnelly Haskell (BM 81) is a typical University of Mississippi love story, and now it has been immortalized at their alma mater with the naming of the main theater at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts in their honor.

The talented duo became college sweethearts at Ole Miss in 1976 and were married in 1982. Then they moved to Los Angeles to take on the entertainment

world, a move that landed Mary at the top of the charts and Sam in a leadership role at the renowned William Morris Agency.

On Oct. 12, UM officials joined more than 100 guests, including Miss Mississippi 2012 Marie Wicks, to dedicate the Sam and Mary Haskell Theatre in recognition of their careers, service, contributions and continuing leadership roles to the university, the state and the world.

“Sir William Osler of Johns Hopkins University said a university’s greatest

treasure is its names,” Chancellor Dan Jones (MD 75) said. “This great building we are in today bears the name the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts. And just as the Grisham Library in the Robert C. Khayat Law Center adds luster to that Khayat Law Center, we believe the naming of the Sam and Mary Haskell Theatre at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts adds gravitas to this great center and to our university.” AR Photo by Robert Jordan

Sam and Mary Haskell express their love for Ole Miss and gratitude for the dedication of the Sam and Mary Haskell Theatre, held in October at the Ford Center.

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Photo by Robert Jordan

Bernard Jansen (left), a senior research and development engineer, and research scientist Nathan Murray examine an inner seal for a jet nozzle in the Anechoic Jet Laboratory at the National Center for Physical Acoustics.

Can You Hear Me Now? ACOUSTICS CENTER REDUCES NOISE IN U.S. NAVY JET

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niversity of Mississippi researchers at the National Center for Physical Acoustics are studying ways to reduce the literally deafening roar of U.S. Navy high-performance jet engines.

Noise-induced hearing loss is the Navy’s No. 1 occupational health expense.

Nathan Murray (MS 03, PhD 06) and the NCPA Aeroacoustics Group are under contract with the U.S. Navy’s Naval Air Systems Command, or NAVAIR, to find solutions to reduce the level and intensity of the noise generated by the F/A-18’s exhaust without losing performance and maneuverability.

“The primary goal of the program is to decrease the incidence of noiseinduced hearing loss, or tinnitus, and improve situational awareness and communications in noisy operational environments,” says Murray, NCPA research scientist and research assistant professor of mechanical engineering.

“As an example, the noise created by

the F/A-18 is so loud that no amount of hearing protection can protect sailors from permanent hearing loss, so we must reduce the noise at its source.”

Murray says a reduction of the noise by 3 decibels, about a 30-percent reduction in loudness, would help eliminate permanent hearing loss in affected naval personnel.

NCPA Aeroacoustics began acoustic suppression studies for F/A-18 fighter jets in 2002 with funding from both NAVAIR and the Office of Naval Research. Led by the late John M. Seiner, then-NCPA associate director, the group made important advances that were patented by the university. Seiner died in late 2010.

Starting in 2011, NAVAIR provided $2.8 million for the current program, with the goal of a 2.5-3.0-decibel reduction in the noise without any observed reduction in performance. Murray’s group has successfully demonstrated a noise reduction of 1.4 decibels (a 15-percent reduction) using a thrust-optimized

design that slightly increases thrust.

Further optimization may improve the noise reduction.

“These are statistically significant numbers,” Murray says. “Note that decibels are part of a logarithmic scale, so even though the number of decibels reduced is small, it is a big change in the magnitude of the sound.”

The reduction is achieved by installing ripples called “corrugations” inside the F/A-18’s engine nozzle to redirect airflow. The ripples result in significant reductions in eddy mach wave radiation, shock noise and screech — the three components of supersonic jet noise, he says.

The work is drawing notice. Murray has been appointed to the NATO RTO (Research and Technology Organization) AVT-198 task group, which focuses on fostering future innovations in noisereduction technologies applied to military vehicles, and is also a member of the High Noise Source Reduction task force of the Defense Safety Oversight Council. AR Winter 2013 7

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Circle Leading New Leaders FORMER SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION RETURNS TO UM

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om Burnham, former dean of the UM School of Education, has rejoined the faculty as interim director of the Principal Corps program.

Burnham is coming out of retirement after his second appointment as Mississippi state superintendent of education.

“We’re going to concentrate on expanding our recruitment efforts across Mississippi,” says Burnham, who was a key player in founding the Principal Corps during his tenure as dean.

An innovative, 13-month blend of graduate study and on-the-job training, the Principal Corps was founded in 2009 with a $2 million grant from the Jim and Donna Barksdale Foundation. To date, 100 percent of the program’s alumni have received job offers as K-12 principals or assistant principals upon graduation. By next August, the number of Principal Corps alumni working in Mississippi public schools is expected to grow to 39.

Burnham

“Dr. Burnham has been an influential character within the Principal Corps from its beginnings,” says Susan McClelland (Med 88, PhD 96), who is leaving the director position to concentrate on her latest appointment as interim chair of

teacher education at UM. “His extensive experience in educational leadership in Mississippi and North Carolina, creativity and passion for student learning make him an ideal candidate to grow the program.”

Admission to the program includes funding for tuition, books and a $30,000 salary stipend from the Mississippi Department of Education and the recruit’s school district. Cohort members also receive a $10,000 bonus if they commit to a job as a principal or assistant principal in a Mississippi public school for five years upon graduation.

“If you look back to when we started the program, everything is different,” says Burnham. “Now it’s Common Core Standards, there are new national assessments, there’s a whole new generation of teachers and principals who are going to be measured by student achievement. This is an opportunity for our state and our schools to invest in a new generation of principals.” AR

STUDY SEEKS TO LINK SLEEP DISORDERS WITH HEART DISEASE, STROKE

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sleep study of 1,200 African-Americans begun in fall 2012 by University of Mississippi Medical Center researchers promises to deepen knowledge about how sleep disorders may contribute to cardiovascular and other diseases.

At seven to eight hours a night, the average person sleeps 2,500 to 2,900 hours a year. In an average 79-year lifetime, that’s about 26 years. Though many may not think of it as such, sleep is a major activity of daily life.

“We never think about it. We go to bed, every day we get up, and we don’t think about those 26 years,” says Dr. Tandaw Samdarshi, associate professor of cardiology and principal investigator of the study. “With this study, we will see what the effects of sleep are.”

Samdarshi received a four-year, $3.8 million grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute in 2012. His team completed a pilot study in 2010, making way for this larger investigation titled “Sleep Disordered Breathing and Risk for 8 Alumni Review

Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke in the Jackson Heart Study.”

At-home recordings taken by the study participants when they sleep will indicate to Samdarshi and his team the quality and quantity of the participants’ sleep. They also plan to study how physical activity and environmental risk factors such as noise, pollution and temperature affect sleep.

Ultimately, the team hopes the results lead to methods to reduce the public burden of heart disease, stroke and other chronic conditions, and perhaps find ways to get more from the years people spend sleeping.

Thanks to the understanding of sleep disorders as a public-health issue in recent years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has increased its surveillance of sleep-related behaviors.

The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, an independent nonprofit organization, reports 50-70 million U.S. adults have some sleep or wakefulness disorder. AR

One Book at a Time EDUCATION STUDENT HELPS REBUILD SMITHVILLE SCHOOL LIBRARY

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“It was pretty widespread destruction, nothing like I’d ever seen,” Baker says. “It was like somewhere else. You didn’t know where you were because things were gone.”

For Smithville principal Chad “ C o a c h” O ’ B r i a n , t h e t o r n a d o occurred at the end of his second year

Photo by Jerra Scott

fter an EF-5 tornado demolished the town of Smithville in April 2011, many citizens did not know where to begin to rebuild what was left of the lives they once knew.

For Kerry Baker, librarian at Smithville High School and an online graduate student at the University of Mississippi, one step toward recovery was landing a Beyond Words: Dollar General School Library Relief Fund grant worth $15,000 for the school, where she has taught for 24 years.

“I was able to pursue the grant as part of my literacy classes,” explains Baker, who is earning a master’s degree in literacy education from UM. “The tornado wiped out the school. Right now, we’re on a temporary campus until August of 2013.”

The relief fund was created by Dollar General to help libraries recovering from major disasters. This grant will help provide replacement items, including books, media and equipment that were destroyed by the violent storm that left the school unusable.

of employment.

After the storm, O’Brian received an email from Superintendent Scott Cantrell describing the grant and suggesting that Baker apply for it. Weeks later, he received an email from Baker confirming that Smithville had been selected for the $15,000.

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Kerry Baker, librarian at Smithville High School, and Chad “Coach” O’Brian, school principal, show off the oversized check from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation.

“Our superintendent made a literacy initiative, and this grant goes a long way toward helping us meet our literacy goals,” O’Brian says. “We’re ecstatic to have the $15,000. We have a chance for our library to be state of the art, and there’s nothing that our kids will lack for.”

At Ole Miss, Baker is studying under Thea Williams-Black, associate professor of teacher education, and wrote the successful grant as a class project. The students were not required to submit the grants, but Baker decided to send hers on to Dollar General in hopes of acquiring materials to help her students. AR Winter 2013 9

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Haley Barbour was recognized for his leadership and service at the University of Mississippi as the Center for Manufacturing Excellence was officially dedicated in the former governor’s honor.

Man Behind the Plan Center for Manufacturing Excellence NAMED IN HONOR OF FORMER GOVERNOR

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undreds sat and stood underneath partly cloudy skies with gentle breezes rustling autumn leaves for an October ceremony dedicating the Center for Manufacturing Excellence in honor of former Mississippi governor Haley Barbour (JD 73).

Besides Ole Miss faculty and students, the event drew many state and local government, education and industry officials from far and near.

“We’re here to honor Haley Barbour, whose legacy will be job creation in Mississippi,” said Ed Blakeslee, president of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. “The work he has done will always be remembered, and this building is a tremendous asset for the state as well as the University of Mississippi.”

UM Chancellor Dan Jones (MD 75) moderated the dedication program, introducing the former governor, welcoming visitors and recognizing distinguished platform guests.

“When Toyota unveiled its plans 10 Alumni Review

for Blue Springs in February 2007, the world saw Mississippi as a major player in economic development,” Jones said.

“This Haley Barbour Center for Manufacturing Excellence is one product of that plan, but its benefits go way beyond one company or one part of the state.

This center will help the state continue to transform our economy by training the nation’s best students and helping attract innovative manufacturing jobs to this state for years to come.”

Colin Wattigney of Waggaman, La., a junior mechanical engineering major with an emphasis in manufacturing, made remarks on behalf of the CME student body during the program.

“This man developed the idea of the CME many years ago,” said Wattigney, who is part of the very first class of CME students to enroll at Ole Miss. “He created the premier manufacturing program in the United States and placed it right here in the state of Mississippi.”

The honoree graciously accepted all

commendations during his response.

“I am honored that the University of Mississippi has named this new Center for Manufacturing Excellence for me,” Barbour said. “During my terms as governor, one of our most important accomplishments was the creation of higher skilled, higher paying manufacturing jobs.”

Established in July 2008, the CME provides unique educational opportunities to undergraduate students interested in modern manufacturing. The center brings together the schools of Engineering, Business Administration and Accountancy to provide students with technical skills involved in successful manufacturing, along with an understanding of accounting, communication, human resources, leadership, management and marketing.

The CME program began in fall 2010 with 27 freshmen from nine states.

The goal is to enroll a total 200 students in the program by 2014, officials said. AR

MCLEAN INSTITUTE TO EXPAND ROLE IN IMPROVING LIVES

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ighting poverty through education has been a lifelong mission of Albert Nylander (BAEd 92, MA 94).

The Greenwood native has used his leadership positions in academia to fight “enduring concentrated poverty” in the Mississippi Delta. As the new director of the McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement at the University of Mississippi, Nylander says he plans to continue focusing on improving lives statewide.

“The University of Mississippi has built a solid reputation for community service.

I am honored to be associated with these efforts, as well as serve in a leadership role to coordinate future projects addressing poverty throughout the state,” says Nylander, professor of sociology.

The McLean Institute existed for many years as a small unit within the Depart-

ment of Sociology and Anthropology.

Under founding director Vaughn Grisham, who retired several years ago, the institute became a leader in the field of community development. From that foundation, the McLean Institute is being dramatically expanded as part of UM 2020, the university’s recently adopted strategic plan, which calls for an increase in service to benefit Mississippi. The goal of the expanded McLean Institute is straightforward but ambitious: to rally UM to purposefully apply its talent and knowledge to improve lives across the state.

Chancellor Dan Jones (MD 75) says Nylander UM faculty, staff, students and alumni always have been leaders in service.

Dr. Nylander, the McLean Institute will facil“They look for opportunities to make itate our students, faculty and staff particimeaningful contributions to the state, the pating in civic engagement in more meannation and the world. Under the direction of ingful and productive ways,” Jones says. AR

On the Patch UM SCIENTISTS DEVELOP INNOVATIVE METHOD TO DELIVER THC

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n innovative delivery method for tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive constituent of Cannabis, is being developed at the University of Mississippi.

School of Pharmacy faculty members Michael A. Repka, Soumyajit Majumdar and Mahmoud A. ElSohly have developed a transmucosal THC patch to overcome problems related to taking the drug in pill form. The patch is administered above the gum line.

“The main issue with oral THC delivery is that the drug gets metabolized before it reaches the bloodstream, resulting in a lot of variability in the dosage patients receive,” says Repka, chair of pharmaceutics and director of the Pii Center for Pharmaceutical Technology. “That has been a longtime problem. Delivering through the oral mucosa gives better absorption with minimal variability. When it goes into the mucosa, it bypasses liver metabolism, allowing for a lower dosage of the

drug than when delivered orally.”

The project began nearly seven years ago and stemmed from ElSohly’s previous research on a THC suppository. The con-

Repka displays the new THC patch.

cept was to develop amino acid prodrugs, or drug precursors, to make THC more water-soluble, which aids in absorption.

“It looks like we have a successful product with good bioavailability and

blood levels,” says ElSohly, president of ElSohly Laboratories Inc., as well as professor of pharmaceutics and research professor in UM’s National Center for Natural Products Research. “We have observed absorption for up to 10 hours.”

The patch is processed using hot-melt extrusion, a process that is used widely in the plastics industry and is coming into its own in pharmaceutical manufacturing because it produces products of uniform shape and density. Fast-dissolving films or tablets are often produced using this technology.

“There are a lot of advantages to using the hot-melt extrusion technology,” Repka says. “It’s a simple process in which the drug can be extruded into a film and die cut into desired sizes.”

The investigators credit a National Institutes of Health Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence, or COBRE, grant for kick-starting the project.

Continued investigation of two prodrug candidates is expected to lead to testing in humans. AR Winter 2013 11

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Circle Patent-pending Prosthetic UM RESEARCHERS CREATE DEVICE TO HELP STUTTERERS

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rawing on one another’s expertise, a trio of University of Mississippi faculty members from different areas of campus has created a patent-pending device that could change the lives of people who stutter.

on the device after Snyder, himself a lifelong stutterer, demonstrated how he could speak much more fluently simply by feeling his throat while he and Waddell chatted over coffee.

“By feeling my throat vibrate when

“Our device is portable, batterypowered and easy to use,” says Goggans, professor of electrical engineering and lead partner in the instrument’s design and fabrication. “These are important attributes because other behavioral treatments for stuttering are more intense; they require too much concentration and are exhausting.”

A prototype of the device was presented in October as a “Hot Topic” at the 2012 Society of Neuroscience conference in New Orleans.

The paper is among 150 selected from thousands of submissions.

Snyder says while the device does not cure stuttering, it helps the user reduce his or her stuttering frequency and can improve the client’s quality of life.

“The team plans to include the prosthetic device within a holistic therapy program to better serve the real-life needs of stuttering clients,” he says.

Though the new device is still being developed and tested, its potential benefit for people who stutter is clear.

“The stigma surrounding stuttering is overwhelmUniversity of Mississippi professors Greg Snyder (left), Paul Goggans and Dwight Waddell conduct tests on a prototype ing and cruel,” Snyder says. of the prosthetic device they created to help people who stutter speak more fluently.

“For any number of reasons, I was able to successfully Paul Goggans, an electrical engineer- I speak, I get tactile speech feedback, emerge from the challenges of stuttering ing professor, developed the prosthetic which significantly reduces my stutter- and have stayed focused on finding a device, about the size of a cell phone, ing,” Snyder says. “Dwight immediately new and better treatment for others. It with Greg Snyder, associate professor of understood my application of speech just makes sense to me that if we can communication sciences and disorders, feedback and neural circuitry, and he wear prosthetics like eyeglasses to help and Dwight Waddell, associate professor then approached Paul, who agreed to with our vision and hearing aids to of health, exercise science and recreation make the device development a senior- enhance our hearing, then why not a management. The friends began working level design project in his class.” prosthetic to help with speech?”AR 12 Alumni Review

Woman of Influence FORMER DEAN HONORED FOR ‘SHAPING’ THE PHARMACY PROFESSION

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he American College of Clinical Pharmacy selected Barbara G. Wells, professor and dean emeritus of the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, as its 2012 Paul F. Parker Medalist and honored her in October during the opening session of its annual meeting in Hollywood, Fla. Wells was nominated for the Parker Medal because of her commitment to developing leaders within the pharmacy profession. Named for one of clinical pharmacy’s most influential proponents, the Parker Medal recognizes those who have helped improve or expand the pharmacy profession, says Michael S. Maddux, ACCP executive director.

“I can think of no individual more deserving of the Parker Medal than (Wells),” Maddux says.

The Parker Medal Selection Committee says that Wells has served as “an inspiring

Wells

pharmacy practitioner, educator, mentor, administrator, advocate and leader,” and that her “servant leadership within a host of

major pharmacy organizations … is testimony to her amazing skill and commitment to shaping the pharmacy profession.”

Wells also is a role model for women because she was one of the first women to serve as department chair in a U.S. pharmacy school and the third woman appointed dean in a pharmacy college in the continental U.S. Wells became UM’s pharmacy dean in summer 2001. Under her leadership, the pharmacy school’s clinical pharmacy program became one of the country’s best, and all its programs became more nationally and internationally prominent.

Paul Parker (1919-1998) was at the University of Kentucky most of his career, says David D. Allen, UM pharmacy dean.

“While I never met him, many of my most cherished advisers and friends were trained directly by him at Kentucky,” Allen says. “Each of them considers Paul the consummate mentor.” AR

DOCTORAL STUDENT GOES TO ETHIOPIA ON FULBRIGHT SCHOLARSHIP

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nimals have always fascinated Tim Colston, a doctoral student in biology at the University of Mississippi. As a child, Colston set up a large screened tent and filled it with butterflies and potted flowers to see which plants the insects would visit most often.

Later, while waiting for toad eggs to hatch, he discovered a garter snake with a full belly, instead of the eggs. With Jake the garter snake as a childhood roommate, Colston, of Oklahoma City, was paving a path to study herpetology.

His lifelong efforts have paid off with a 2012-13 Fulbright Scholarship, which has taken him to Ethiopia for eight months, where he will be affiliated with Abebe Getahun of Addis Ababa University. Using DNA and other new technologies, he intends to promote conservation awareness of Ethiopia’s unique, diverse and highly endemic reptile fauna by investigating how geology, geography, changing

climate and other factors have influenced the structure of those reptile communities.

“The Fulbright is the first step in what I see is a long-term collaboration with Ethiopian academics. I plan on doing research there the rest of my life, so this is a big first step,” he says.

Addis Ababa University does not have a herpetologist on staff, so Colston wants his enthusiasm for reptiles to be contagious.

“While I am there, I am going to be working closely with people in the department, and hopefully we’ll involve other students who want to get their hands dirty and go catch some snakes,” he says. “Hopefully, I will inspire someone who wants to fill the role of herpetologist one day.”

Colston is among more than 1,500 U.S. students who are traveling abroad through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program in 2012-13. The Fulbright, estab-

Colston

lished in 1946, is the flagship international exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and has given about 300,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists and scientists the opportunity to conduct research and exchange ideas in more than 155 countries worldwide. AR Winter 2013 13

fromthe

Circle Bubble Trouble UM GEOLOGIST, ANALYTICAL CHEMIST LEAD STUDY OF LEVEE SEEPAGE

14 Alumni Review

Photo by Robert Jordan

F

lood stage in a river can mean that water has spilled out of the river channel and reached the levees designed to retain floodwaters. As the river rises up, there is always concern that the levees could fail, resulting in a wall of water pouring through the gap.

Two University of Mississippi professors have discovered that chemical differentiations in waters from sand boils, formed from seepage along levees, may help identify which levee locations are at higher risk of failure.

Gregg Davidson, UM professor of geology and geological engineering, and James Cizdziel, UM assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, collaborated on the study with J.R. Rigby of the USDA Agricultural Research Service National Sedimentation Laboratory and Dean Pennington of the Yazoo Mississippi Delta Joint Water Management District. The team analyzed the chemistry of sand-boil discharges to trace variable pathways of seepage beneath levees during the 2011 Mississippi River flood. Their findings will appear in the next issue of Applied Geochemistry, a prestigious refereed journal published by Elsevier.

“Sand boils are formed when river water seeps under the levee fast enough to carry sediment to the surface on the other side, creating a mound of sand with water bubbling up through the center,” Davidson says. “These are a significant concern because sediment is being removed from underground, possibly from under the levee.”

Relief wells are wells drilled next to a levee that are allowed to overflow onto the ground to relieve pressure, but sand boils may still form.

“Shallow flow pathways under a levee are more likely to cause levee failure than deep Gregg Davidson (left), UM professor of geology pathways, but the sand boils and geological engineering, and James Cizdziel, look the same, and no methods UM professor of chemistry and biochemistry, have been previously developed collaborate in Cizdziel’s inductively coupled to easily tell which are from deep plasma mass spectrometry laboratory. pathways and which are from Sand boils are a sign that sediment is being removed from shallow pathways,” Cizdziel underground, potentially undermining levees. says. “This has the potential for “Distinguishing shallow and deep identifying levee locations of higher and lower risk of failure.” seepage pathways may prove useful for evaluating site-specific The team used the chemical composition to differentiate risk of levee failure,” Cizdziel says. between sand boils formed from seepage along deep and shallow To view “Elemental chemistry of sand-boil discharge used pathways. Two distinct pathways for seepage under the levee to trace variable pathways of seepage beneath levees during the were identified based on the elemental composition of water 2011 Mississippi River flood,” go to http://www.sciencedirect. samples. com/science/journal/aip/08832927 AR

Calendar 14

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21

16

21

17

22

Women’s Basketball: Ole Miss vs. MSU. Tad Smith Coliseum, 7 p.m.

Visit www.olemisssports. com.

-17 Baseball: Ole Miss vs. TCU. Swayze Field, 4 p.m.

Friday, 1:30 p.m. Saturday, noon Sunday. Visit www.olemisssports.com.

Men’s Basketball: Ole Miss vs. Georgia.

Tad Smith Coliseum, 7 p.m.

Visit www.olemisssports.com.

Hilary Hahn Feb. 12

FEBRUARY

12

Performance: Hilary Hahn, violinist. Ford Center for the Performing Arts, 7-9 p.m. Call 662915-2787.

12

Ole Miss Luncheon Series: Atlanta, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Cherokee Town Club. Call 662-915-7375, or visit www.olemissalumni. com/events.

Women’s Basketball: Ole Miss vs.

South Carolina. Tad Smith Coliseum, 1 p.m. Visit www. olemisssports.com.

20

Baseball: Ole Miss vs. Tennessee-Martin.

Swayze Field, 4 p.m. Visit www.olemisssports.com.

Baseball: Ole Miss vs. TCU Feb. 15-17

16 Alumni Review

Ole Miss Luncheon Series: Jackson, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Location TBA. Call 662-915-7375, or visit www.olemissalumni. com/events.

School of Business Reception: Lookout Steakhouse, Gulfport, 5-7:30 p.m. Call 662-915-7375.

-23 Porter L. Fortune Jr. History Symposium: Yerby Conference Center, all-day event.

Email jward@olemiss.edu.

-23 Leadership Ole Miss Conference: for Alumni Association club leaders. Triplett Alumni Center and The Inn at Ole Miss.

Call 662-915-7375, or email port@olemiss.edu.

22

-24 Baseball: Ole Miss vs. Rhode Island. Swayze Field, 4 p.m.

Friday, 1 p.m. Saturday, 1:30 p.m. Sunday. Visit www.olemisssports.com.

Hilary Hahn SEC Men’s Tennis Feb. 12 Tournament April 17-21

22

28

5

23

MARCH

5

-24 Oxford Film Festival: All-day event. Email tourism@ oxfordcvb.com.

Men’s Basketball: Ole Miss vs. Auburn.

Tad Smith Coliseum, 4 p.m.

Visit www.olemisssports.com.

24

Women’s Basketball: Ole Miss vs. Georgia.

Tad Smith Coliseum, 1 p.m.

Visit www.olemisssports.com.

26

Baseball: Ole Miss vs. Memphis. Swayze Field, 4 p.m. Visit www.olemisssports.com.

27

Baseball: Ole Miss vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Swayze Field, 4 p.m.

Visit www.olemisssports.com.

27

Men’s Basketball: Ole Miss vs. Texas A&M. Tad Smith Coliseum, 8 p.m.

Visit www.olemisssports.com.

Women’s Basketball: Ole Miss vs. Kentucky.

Tad Smith Coliseum, 7 p.m.

Visit www.olemisssports.com.

1

-2 Student Hall of Fame Reunion: Includes receptions, a campus tour, lunch, forum and Hall of Fame dinner. Various times and locations. Call 662-915-7375.

2

Communiversity: Landscaping Boot Camp. Ole Miss Depot, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Call 662-915-1299.

4

Ole Miss Luncheon Series: Mobile, Ala., 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Location TBA. Call 662-915-7375, or visit www.olemissalumni. com/events.

5

Baseball: Ole Miss vs.

Southeastern Louisiana.

Swayze Field, 5 p.m. Visit www.olemisssports.com.

Performance: “Biloxi Blues,” Montana Repertory Theatre. Ford Center for the Performing Arts, 7-9 p.m. Call 662-915-2787.

Men’s Basketball: Ole Miss vs. Alabama. Tad Smith Coliseum, 8 p.m. Visit www.olemisssports.com.

6

Baseball: Ole Miss vs.

Southeastern Louisiana.

Swayze Field, 4 p.m. Visit www.olemisssports.com.

8

-10 Baseball: Ole Miss vs.

Lipscomb. Swayze Field, 6:30 p.m. Friday, 1:30 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday. Visit www.olemisssports.com.

11 14

-15 Spring Break

Performance: U.S. Coast Guard Band.

Ford Center for the Performing Arts, 7-9 p.m. Call 662915-2787.

20

-21 Insurance Symposium: The Inn at Ole Miss. Receive up to 9 hours of CE or CLE credit.

The opening reception will be held the evening of March 20 at the Oxford University Club. Call 662-915-7375.

22

-24 Baseball: Ole Miss vs. Texas A&M. Swayze Field, 6:30 p.m. Friday, 1:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Visit www.olemisssports. com.

27

Ole Miss Luncheon Series: Cleveland, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Location TBA. Call 662-915-7375, or visit www.olemissalumni. com/events.

27

Baseball: Ole Miss vs. Arkansas State.

Swayze Field, 6:30 p.m. Visit www.olemisssports.com.

Winter 2013 17

Calendar APRIL

5

-7 Baseball: Ole Miss vs.

Vanderbilt. Swayze Field, 6:30 p.m. Friday, 4 p.m.

Saturday, 1:30 p.m. Sunday.

Visit www.olemisssports.com.

5

-7 Women’s Golf: Rebel Intercollegiate, Oxford, various times. Visit www. olemisssports.com.

12

-14 Baseball: Ole Miss vs. Alabama.

Swayze Field, 6:30 p.m. Friday, 4 p.m. Saturday, 1:30 p.m. Sunday. Visit www. olemisssports.com.

13

Grove Bowl: Red/ Blue football game fundraiser for the J.W. “Wobble” Davidson Scholarship. Call 662-915-7375.

19

17

-21 SEC Men’s Tennis Tournament: Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center, times TBA. Visit www.olemisssports.com.

19

18

21

Engineering Honors Banquet: The Inn at Ole Miss, 6 p.m. Call 662915-7375.

Meeting: Ole Miss Alumni Association board of directors’ spring meetings. Various times and locations. Call 662-915-7375.

-20 Law Weekend: Various times and locations. Call 662-9157375, or email thompson@ olemiss.edu.

-26 Rebel Road Trip: Various times and locations. Call 662-915-7375, or visit www.olemissalumni. com/events.

Grove Bowl April 13

18 Alumni Review

25

Accountancy Awards Banquet: The Inn at Ole Miss, 6 p.m. Call 662-915-7375.

25

Performance: “Don Quixote,” Russian National Ballet. Ford Center for the Performing Arts, 7-9 p.m. Call 662-915-2787.

26

-27 Baseball: Ole Miss vs. Kentucky.

Swayze Field, 6:30 p.m. Friday, 4 p.m. Saturday. Visit www.olemisssports.com.

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

$0 down mortgages available for qualified buyers.

“Plein Air blends classic architecture and distinct Southern Style. It promotes neighborhood values from a hundred years ago, featuring quiet streets for neighbors to walk and visit, big front porches, and lots of common greenspace.”

- Southern Living Magazine

The Most Unique Neighborhood Taylor. Lafayette County. Minutes from Oxford and Ole Miss.

About Plein Air | located in the village of taylor approximately 8 minutes from oxford, ms, Plein air broke ground in 2007 as one of the only true new urbanist neighborhoods in the state of mississippi. founded as “a neighborhood that celebrates the arts”, Plein air is an old-fashioned neighborhood with traditional southern-style houses and tin roofs, sidewalks and white picket fences. when fully developed, Plein air will have almost 200 homes, a dozen commercial buildings with restaurants, art galleries, coffee shops, studio offices, and antique stores. Plein air hosts multiple arts workshops, concerts on the lawn, farmer’s markets, mahjong tournaments, summer evening movies on the lawn, and other community events year round. our montessori school has grown each year for the past three years and is expecting to double its enrollment next year.

www.pleinairtaylor.com | ph 662-234-3151

The Houses | best described by lead architect John tee as “traditional southern vernacular”, the houses at Plein air range from 1,400-3,500 square feet and are priced between $170,000 and $599,000. all houses at Plein air have ample front porches, are built on conventional foundations, have traditional wood burning fireplaces and ten foot ceilings. Parking is in the rear of the homes to “hide the cars.” Plein air hosted the 2009 southern living idea House and over 23,000 visitors toured this fantastic home. it was the first community ever chosen in mississippi to host the coveted southern living idea House. if you don’t see the house you are looking for, we can build you exactly the one you want.

Homesites range from $45,000-$70,000.

Home prices start at $170,000.

50

years of progress

Ole Miss turns historic moment into yearlong commemoration

T

he University of Mississippi commemorated its 50th anniversary of integration with a series of special events during 2012, some of which are depicted here. A timeline also shows important milestones that have led to the more progressive, diverse environment of Ole Miss today, including last year’s election of the university’s first female, African-American Associated Student Body president and first AfricanAmerican homecoming queen.

Today, Ole Miss has a minority enrollment of 24.8 percent, an accomplishment that would not have seemed possible 50 years ago. On Sept. 30, 1962, violence erupted on the Oxford campus as federal officials accompanied James Meredith, the first African-American admitted to the university. Two men died, and dozens of military personnel were wounded during the riots that broke out as Meredith arrived on campus. The next morning Meredith was officially admitted.

“With his admission on Oct. 1, 1962, James Meredith became one of the most heroic figures in the American civil rights movement,” says Chancellor Dan Jones. “His persistence and ultimate success laid the foundation for thousands of African-American students who earned degrees from this university in the years that followed.

“On the anniversary of such an important event, it is important to express regret for past injustices, recommit to open doors of opportunity for all, regardless of race or ethnicity, celebrate the progress achieved together and acknowledge that we still live in an imperfect world and must continue to seek to rid ourselves and the world of injustice.”

With “Opening the Closed Society” as its theme, 50th anniversary events included keynote addresses by U.S. Attorney Gen. Eric Holder and legendary entertainer and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte. Other activities, designed to educate students and shape meaningful conversations in the academic environment on race relations, included panel discussions, brown bag luncheons and exhibits at the University Museum and J.D. Williams Library.

For other information on the anniversary, including an interactive timeline, video interviews and photo gallery, visit www.olemiss.edu/jamesmeredith. AR

1962

James Meredith registers for classes at the University of Mississippi, Oct. 1.

20 Alumni Review

1965

Verna Bailey is the first AfricanAmerican woman to attend Ole Miss.

1967

Lucius Williams becomes the first African-American administrator at Ole Miss (vice chancellor for academic affairs).

Photos by Nathan Latil

ASB president Kim Dandridge leads a march from Baxter Hall to the Lyceum.

Above: UM Chancellor Dan Jones (MD 75) accompanies legendary entertainer and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte on the march.

Left: Chancellor Jones speaks to a crowd gathered at the Lyceum.

1970

Jeanette Jennings, the first AfricanAmerican faculty member, is named assistant professor of social work.

1975

Ben Williams is the first African-American elected “Colonel Rebel� and first to be elected captain of the football team.

1987

Damon Moore becomes the first African-American Rhodes Scholar from Ole Miss.

Winter 2013 21

Photos by Nathan Latil

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder was the guest speaker for the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College fall convocation. The lecture was one of the kickoff events for the 50th commemoration event.

1992

The Roy Lee “Chucky” Mullins Scholarship is created to assist with tuition costs for students with disabilities.

22 Alumni Review

1994

Louis Westerfield becomes the first African-American dean at Ole Miss (dean of the School of Law).

1997

Carissa Alana Wells becomes the first African-American “Miss University.”

Photo by Kevin Bain

Left: Henry Gallagher (on right) shares stories from his book, James Meredith and the Ole Miss Riot: A Soldier’s Story, with Curtis Wilkie, UM associate professor of journalism, at the Overby Center.

Photo by Robert Jordan

Photo by Robert Jordan

Below: Reuben Anderson (JD 67), UM’s first African-American law graduate, gives a lecture at the Robert C. Khayat Law Center.

1999

The William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation is formed.

2000

Nic Lott is named the first AfricanAmerican Associated Student Body president.

2002

James Meredith is honored on the 40th anniversary of his admission at the university.

Winter 2013 23

Photo by Robert Jordan

Left: A young student offers a prayer during a community-wide prayer service held Sept. 30, 2012 at the Ford Center.

Below: Former Gov. William Winter (BA 43) attends an Oxford community prayer service held in the Ford Center.

Photo by Robert Jordan

2002

Joseph Meredith graduates from UM with a doctoral degree and is named School of Business outstanding graduate student.

24 Alumni Review

2003

The national Council of Graduate Schools recognizes UM for its record in recruiting and graduating minority graduate students.

Photo by Robert Jordan

Photo by Kevin Bain

Bottom: Bishops Duncan Gray III (BA 71) and Duncan Gray Jr. look out on the packed Ford Center.

2004

The African American Studies program receives degree status.

Photo by Robert Jordan

Photo by Kevin Bain

The UM Gospel Choir performs before the commemoration’s keynote address.

2006

Four AfricanAmericans earn their Ph.D.s in mathematics from Ole Miss, more than any other university in the nation.

2008

The university plays host to the first debate of the 2008 presidential campaign, welcoming current president Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain.

2008

Rose Flenorl is elected Alumni Association president, becoming the first AfricanAmerican to hold the position.

Winter 2013 25

Photo by Robert Jordan Photo by Kevin Bain

Harry Belafonte captivates and inspires students in a session before giving his keynote address.

2012

Kimbrely Dandridge is elected president of the Associated Student Body, becoming the first AfricanAmerican female to hold the position.

2012

Courtney Pearson becomes the University of Mississippi’s first African-American homecoming queen.

For other information on the anniversary, including an interactive timeline, video interviews and photo gallery, visit

www.olemiss.edu/jamesmeredith.

26 Alumni Review

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Or another hospital like ours in Mississippi.

We dedicate our lives to helping your child grow up happy and healthy. As the state’s only hospital just for kids, we offer the expertise, specialized technology and compassionate care that babies, children and teens need.

And as part of Mississippi’s only Academic Medical Center, we also give your child comprehensive care for everything from extraordinary needs to ordinary checkups.

Because your kids are our world.

Learn more at ummchealth.com/childrens or call 888.815.2005.

Photo by Robert Jordan 28 Alumni Review

Wise Counsel University attorney brings more than legal advice to the table

By Rebecca Lauck Cleary

Communicator. Advocate. Professor.

Man of faith and family. And, of course, lawyer.

Lee Tyner (BA 87) may carry the official title of University of Mississippi general counsel, but the dynamic nature of college life means he finds himself in new roles, almost daily.

Tyner has worked on the Ole Miss alcohol task force, helped draft the Changing the Culture alcohol policy, and stepped in to assist with transitions in the university’s divisions of Athletics and Communications. He relishes all of these aspects because they allow him to apply his energy to various degrees around campus.

“I am thankful that lots of people on campus let me have a seat at the table so that I don’t just provide legal advice, but I use the skills I developed as a lawyer to help solve all sorts of problems,” Tyner says.

The Columbus native’s association with Ole Miss began when he was an undergraduate in 1983. Majoring in economics and history, Tyner was a Carrier Scholar, as was his older sister, Stacey (BAccy 85, JD 93). He was briefly involved in campus politics but particularly enjoyed being director of the Student Programming Board.

“One of the things I liked about it was that it was not political, but people appreciated when you did good things,” Tyner says. “If you planned a great event and people went, you actually made their lives at Ole Miss a little better.”

After graduating in 1987, he lived in Budapest for a year, working with the American Southern Baptist Church to form relationships in the Hungarian Baptist Church.

Hungary changed dramatically during his time there, and Tyner says it was a great experience.

“I learned a lot about who I am, and I learned about what

Mississippi is,” he says. “I had already spent a few summers in Hungary and traveled a good bit before that. I met some interesting people who challenged me and helped me think about the world. It was very formative for me in how I think.”

Tyner is an elder at Christ Presbyterian Church in Oxford and has been involved in church planting in both Memphis and Ridgeland, while remaining active in local and overseas missions.

While living abroad in Budapest, Tyner decided on his career path. Soon after returning to the U.S., he enrolled at the University of Virginia School of Law and lived in Charlottesville for three years.

“I came back to Mississippi more fully formed,” says Tyner, who married Ole Miss alumna Susan Thompson Tyner (BA 90) just before starting law school.

During their three years in Charlottesville, Susan and Lee started a family that has grown to include five children, who range in age from 11 to 22, the oldest of whom is a junior at Ole Miss. Tyner credits his wife for helping him balance work and family life.

“Asking Susan to marry me is the wisest thing I ever did,” he says.

After working as a litigation attorney for Butler Snow in Jackson for six years, Tyner returned to Ole Miss in 1998 to work for Mary Ann Connell (BA 59), who was general counsel at the time. When Connell retired in 2003, Chancellor Emeritus Robert C. Khayat (BAEd 61, JD 66) hired Tyner as university attorney.

Connell says she holds Tyner in the highest regard.

Tyner consults with Michael Thompson, senior associate athletics director for communications and marketing.

Winter 2013 29

Photo by Robert Jordan

Though he has been on the university’s Executive Management Council for years, Tyner’s responsibilities increased in 2012 when he was tasked with coordinating external affairs.

“He is a wonderful person, and we had a beautiful working relationship, and he was a joy to work with,” Connell says. “He is one of the smartest, kindest people I’ve ever known. Ole Miss is well served to have him as university attorney.”

Tyner says he was privileged to work with a great mentor such as Connell. He benefited from Connell’s credibility and thoughtfulness and inherited the trust of others.

“Mary Ann personified some of the strengths of the peoplecentered Ole Miss culture, and she fundamentally believed that the best way to manage legal risk was by being kind to people.

She helped create that culture,” Tyner says. “She also has a great work ethic. People’s views in the higher education legal community about Ole Miss are largely based on their high regard for Mary Ann. She is among the most admired higher education lawyers in the country.”

The greatest challenge for the university attorney is the sheer scope and breadth of work, which can range from student misconduct and judicial matters to complex employment matters and First Amendment issues.

Beyond those obligations, Tyner has been connected to students in the classroom for more than a decade, teaching honors sections of business law and communications law.

“I love our students, and I view teaching as something that helps me understand the big picture of why the institution is here,” he says.

One of the programs that excites him the most is Ole Miss Opportunity, a need-based scholarship program that guarantees eligible Mississippi resident students financial aid support to cover the average cost of tuition, residence hall housing and an allowance for meals. The program fills the gap in funding after other scholarships and grants awarded to the student have been considered.

“Not just myself, but several of us, including Larry Sparks 30 Alumni Review

(vice chancellor for administration and finance) and Morris Stocks (provost), had talked for a few years about a desire to communicate very publicly that we wanted this to be a place that was accessible for all Mississippians,” Tyner says. “We were aware of other flagship institutions that had done similar things.

I am thankful and pleased that Chancellor Jones made access such a high priority, and we have made a very visible and public commitment to access.”

Tyner says it is important for Mississippians to be able to attend a regionally and nationally competitive academic institution.

“Mississippians don’t just need access to higher education; we need access to excellent higher education. Access is not only about can students get in, but can they be successful and can they afford to be here,” he says.

One of the recent signs of Tyner’s growing role occurred in 2012 when Chancellor Dan Jones (MD 75) formally tasked Tyner with coordinating external affairs.

“As the general counsel, I am a part of the leadership team, and for the last several years I have had the opportunity to be at the leadership table, not only for strictly legal issues but for broader questions of direction, vision and leadership. That has been very rewarding, and I’ve been thankful for it,” Tyner says.

“Over the last few years, Chancellor Jones has asked me to take a more active role, advising [him] about a variety of issues and just being a resource for him when an issue needs to be more actively managed,” Tyner says.

Jones agrees that Tyner is an important part of the university leadership team, which is why he appointed him to coordinate external affairs. The job means different things at different times, when duties are blurred among governmental relations, economic development, town/gown or state and federal relations.

He notes that the campus environment has changed since he was a student, and the prospects students have are greater.

“I like when [Honors College Dean] Douglass SullivanGonzález says to his students, ‘Make me jealous.’ What our students get to do today makes me jealous. I think that it’s a much better, healthier place for many more of our students,” Tyner says.

While faith is a leading motivator for Tyner, working for something bigger is also a key factor.

Photo by Michael Thompson

Photo by Kevin Bain

“I am pleased that Lee has agreed to expand his area of responsibility to include coordinating the interaction of other university leaders with some responsibility for external relationships,” Jones says. “All of us in the Ole Miss family will benefit from his expanded role.”

Tyner refers to himself as a problem-solver and is able to seamlessly juggle several balls at once.

“He is a brilliant attorney and serves us well in his role as chief legal officer,” Jones says. “After working with Lee for some time, it became apparent to me that I was calling on him for advice about a broad range of issues, many of them outside of legal issues. He has a keen ability to analyze a problem and offer pathways to solutions.”

Donna Gurley (BAEd 82, MLS 84, MEd 94, JD 00), associate university attorney, says Tyner is a visionary and extremely kind, empathetic and humble, with a good sense of humor.

“The other day I asked him for advice about a situation, and he told me to go eat some chocolate,” Gurley says, laughing.

Tyner’s jesting nature is showcased in his advice for others: “Always have a friend with a pickup truck.”

Tyner talks with UM administrators during a residential college tour.

“Knowing that Ole Miss is here to do good things really helps,” Tyner says. “I love my job. I get the opportunity to help people at all levels and in all units of the organization. I get the chance to know what people do and how they make this place work, and when they have an issue, I get to help them work through the thing that is interfering with their ability to be successful. There are not many offices on campus that get the viewpoint we get.”

Tyner’s approach to life is to do what you are called to do and do it well, every day.

“There is a verse in Psalms that says, ‘[God’s] word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path,’ and I like to add, ‘not a Q-beam into my future.’ So I generally focus on the next step and how I can serve well in what I am asked to do,” he says.

Tyner is confident in the abilities of the Ole Miss faculty and is interested in seeing how they Lee and Susan Tyner with their children: (from left) Harry (14), Will (22), Eloise (18), respond to the chancellor’s challenge of addressing Rebecca (11) and Clark (19) the state’s problems.

Certainly, one thing Tyner is serious about is that Ole Miss “I believe the state’s problems are really the same problems should provide leadership for the state of Mississippi. that our nation faces. I love the Faulkner quote, ‘To understand “We need to prepare our students to change the state and the world, you must first understand a place like Mississippi.’” change the world,” he says. “Ole Miss is a special place, but we Tyner sees Faulkner’s quote as helping cast a vision for the have to understand the things that make the Ole Miss experience university. special and grow them. We have to make the Ole Miss experience “I think we are a great place to try to understand the world broader, better and accessible to more people.” and help solve its problems,” he says. AR Winter 2013 31

Alumnus keeps C Spire wired (and wireless) for success

By Annie Rhoades

32 Alumni Review

n 1988, mobile phones were a fantasy or foreign to most people outside the telephone industry. Cellular technology seemed risky, futuristic, maybe even a flash in the pan. Yet Hu Meena (BSPHE 80) saw its possibilities.

Meena, president and CEO of C Spire Wireless (formerly Cellular South), along with founding brothers James Creekmore (BBA 59, JD 68) and Wade Creekmore (BBA 56, JD 67), laid the groundwork to pursue the next big boom in the telephone industry — and no one could have predicted just how large and far-reaching into people’s everyday lives that boom would be.

“When I was in college, there was no such thing as cell phones, so it was hard to envision ending up in a career like this,” Meena says.

Hu Meena

Winter 2013 33

eena grew up anticipating a coaching career. However, when he saw an opportunity in 1988 to transform an established telephone company using the emerging technology of wireless telephones, he couldn’t refuse it.

“I was able to get into a business with a wonderful family in a very interesting field,” he says.

Born in Clarksdale in 1958, Meena has lived in different cities throughout the state but finds a commonality among them.

“The common denominator in Mississippi is no matter what part of the state you live in, you’re going to find a lot of really good people who are friendly, helpful and always accommodating,” says Meena. “It’s those people that have helped us grow our business as we began to expand from the coast to other parts of the state.”

C Spire’s parent companies, Delta Telephone Co. and Franklin Telephone Co., were founded by the Creekmores and began by serving 16 rural exchanges and providing state-of-the-art communication services via telephone landlines to various rural areas. The efforts to move into the wireless telephone industry and establish the name Cellular South began in 1987 with only two networks at the time offering wireless services in Mississippi: MCTA (Mississippi Cable Telecommunications Association) and the newly formed Cellular South.

Co-founders Wade (left) and Jimmy Creekmore

“Nobody knew that wireless would become what it did,” Meena says. “The Creekmores had the vision to see that it at least had potential and was worth pursuing. We had absolutely no idea that one day [so many people] would have a phone in their pocket or purse, depending on it for so many different aspects of their lives.”

Cellular South made its debut in the wireless market in February 1988 with an inaugural telephone call by Ole Miss football legend Archie Manning (BPA 71) to then-U.S. Rep. Trent Lott (BPA 63, JD 67), from the company’s first store in Gulfport to Washington, D.C. “The inaugural call was a unique situation in that it is really supposed to be ceremonious in nature, but we scheduled the call for 9 a.m. and actually turned on the network at 8:30 a.m., so it truly was the inaugural call,” says Meena. “I remember the phone was about the size of a briefcase.”

Now headquartered in Ridgeland, the company is still privately held and services all of Mississippi and portions of Tennessee, Alabama and Florida.

34 Alumni Review

Archie Manning made the inaugural call in 1998 from the company’s first store alongside president and CEO Hu Meena.

The decision to change the company’s name to C Spire Wireless in 2011 was out of necessity to spearhead the company’s future into the ever-changing digital era of tablets and smart phones.

“When we became a mobile computing and entertainment company, the name Cellular South just didn’t fit anymore,” Meena says. “The words ‘South’ and ‘Cellular’ were somewhat limiting. We wanted to bust through those limits and be able to come up with a name that will accurately serve us for the next 25 years.”

For some companies, rebranding can be a risky move, but for Meena, it was all about foresight, innovation and positioning.

“We’re not afraid of change. We embrace change and enjoy being in an industry that’s chock full of change,” he says.

The name C Spire places an emphasis on the company’s steadfast focus on the customer.

“We are inspired by our customers to deliver the latest and greatest technology and to deliver high-quality customer service to personalize their experience,” Meena says. “We truly are inspired by our customers, and we want our name to reflect that.”

Meena has experienced a successful career with the company in an industry that is constantly evolving and not a place for the faint of heart. Cut-throat competitiveness and being capital intensive are just two of the challenging hallmarks of the wireless industry.

In 1999, the industry began to evolve from “dumb phones” to “smart phones,” moving from analog to digital technology. C Spire smoothly made the switch and has since continually taken additional steps to upgrade its digital technology.

According to company co-founder Wade Creekmore, Meena has what it takes as C Spire’s leader to not only lead the company to continued success but also to grow and thrive in the industry.

“He’s definitely driven to succeed,” says Creekmore. “His motto is, ‘Everyone should work with a sense of urgency.’”

Meena began as general manager of the company’s first system on the Gulf Coast in 1988. He was promoted to vice president of operations and development in 1990, eventually becoming president in 1997.

“I think he’s the most effective president of any wireless company in the country,” Creekmore says. “All of the people who work for him trust him to make good decisions and be fair

to them; they want to do a good job for him and the company.

He’s a true leader.”

In February 2013, C Spire Wireless will celebrate 25 years of success and innovation in the wireless telecommunications industry.

“It’s just hard to believe,” says Meena. “It seems like it’s been 25 months, not years. It’s all gone by so quickly, but time flies when you’re having a good time.”

The company has experienced steady growth in its wireless sector and views itself as a technology company first and foremost that specializes in offering personalized service to its customers.

well as the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.

“The thing I love most about my job is that it constantly changes,” Meena says. “There aren’t many days, certainly not years, that are ever the same. Each year brings new challenges, opportunities and competition, but that’s what makes it fun.”

While his career has been an unpredictable and exciting journey, Meena reminisces about his days at Ole Miss with a fondness that is common among Ole Miss alumni. A member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity, Meena served as Ole Miss’ Intramural Council vice president from 1978-79 and president from 1979-80.

Several people have played a crucial role in Meena’s life, but one Rebel in particular stands out from the rest.

“I would have to say that my longtime friend and mentor Dean of Students Thomas ‘Sparky’ Reardon (BAEd 72, PhD 00) had a big influence on me during my days at Ole Miss,” Meena says. “We’ve continued to stay in touch over the years and try to see each other as often as possible.”

Reardon, who coached Meena in Pony League baseball and taught him in high school, says he is the kind of man whom college students should strive to emulate.

“He is a great listener and genuinely cares

After regional disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, C Spire’s focus on this particular area of the country allows it more opportunity to provide services and resource allocation.

“We believe in personally serving each customer,” says Meena. “Even though we have close to one million customers, we are still serving each individual’s needs and interests.”

In an industry saturated with an array of national competitors, C Spire prides itself on being the fastest in the marketplace to deliver high-quality services and technologically advanced networks and applications.

“We don’t believe it’s the large that can beat the small; we believe it’s the quick that can beat the slow,” Meena says. “We’ve positioned ourselves to grow by utilizing different technologies, not only in wireless but also in the information technology arena to be able to deliver differentiated products and services from our competitors.”

During Hurricane Katrina in 2005, as well as ice storms, floods, tornadoes and even football games, C Spire prides itself on being focused on this particular area of the country and providing communication services, through time, expertise, planning and resource allocation, when some of its national competitors can’t.

“This is the area of the country on which we’re focused,” says Meena. “It’s more than just business to us. We take the charge personally that we’re here to provide communication services when people need [them].”

FierceWireless, the source many industry insiders turn to for daily monitoring of the wireless industry, named Meena one of the Top 25 Most Powerful People in U.S. Wireless in 2012. He placed 16th on the list and outranked the CEOs of Twitter and Microsoft, as

Ashley and Hu Meena

about other people no matter what their station in life might be,” Reardon says. “He is a man that leads with principle and ethics. He is extremely competitive and wants success for those around him. Hu does not like being second in anything. He is passionate about telecommunication and C Spire. I think the greatest factor in his success is his focus on winning the right way.”

Meena and his wife, Ashley (BA 83), come back to Oxford for as many home football games as possible and enjoy being an active part of the Ole Miss community. Meena served on the Ole Miss Alumni Association board from 2008-11. The couple's oldest son, Victor Matthew Meena, is enrolled in the Ole Miss School of Business Administration. AR Winter 2013 35

Renewed

36 Alumni Review

2012 FOOTBALL SEASON HIGHLIGHTS CAUGHT ON CAMERA

Photos by Joshua McCoy

Passion ix weeks after pounding No. 24 Mississippi State 41-24 in front of 61,005 fans at VaughtHemingway Stadium, thereby bringing home the Egg Bowl trophy for the first time since 2008 and becoming bowl eligible in the process, Ole Miss took down Pittsburgh in the BBVA Compass Bowl in Birmingham, Ala., 38-17. The bowl win capped off an unpredicted season under first-year head Coach Hugh Freeze and reignited excitement and devotion to Ole Miss football for many fans and players.

The 38 points scored by Ole Miss is a BBVA Compass Bowl record, but Rebel fans, with much to cheer about, also nearly single-handedly broke the bowl game’s attendance record. The 59,135 fans in attendance surpassed the previous record by more than 13,000.

Following two consecutive losing seasons (4-8 in 2010 and 2-10 in 2011), the Ole Miss faithful weren’t sure what to expect from Freeze. But as he predicted when he was introduced as the new coach in December 2011, Freeze did indeed lead the football program “out of the wilderness.”

“Our guys really chose to buy in and decided we can determine who we want to be. We don’t have to have someone else determine that,” says Freeze. “I didn’t know if we could [go to a bowl] or not, but I knew we could attack each week as an individual challenge and game. I was very clear with our goal in year one, that was — to play with passion of football for our great university. I have no question, it was not always the prettiest thing, but I don’t doubt one single game that we didn’t give passion for our university.”

Compared to the 2011 season’s total of 773 plays and 193 total points, the Rebels ran 876 plays and scored 371 points. Even national champion Alabama, which lost three players to injury against Ole Miss, couldn’t deny the physicality the Rebel defense brought to the field. “Very physical” was part of Alabama head Coach Nick Saban’s assessment of the Rebels.

With 20 projected returning starters and impressive recruiting prospects, excitement is high for the Rebels’ 2013 season.

Winter 2013 37

Energy and passion were commonly used to describe the Rebels’ play for the 2012 season under first-year head Coach Hugh Freeze.

38 Alumni Review

Season attendance of 398,462 in Vaught-Hemingway is the second highest mark in school history (behind 2002).

Winter 2013 39

BBVA COMPASS BOWL

The Rebels charge the turf at Legion Field. Ole Miss has now won nine of its last 10 bowl games and each of its last five.

The win moves Ole Miss’ bowl record to 22-12.

Ole Miss took a 21-point lead with 21 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

The Rebels’ defense gave up just 4 yards in the third quarter and did not allow a single first down.

40 Alumni Review

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Bank deposits are FDIC insured up to $250,000. BancorpSouth Investment Services, Inc., and BancorpSouth Insurance Services, Inc., are wholly owned subsidiaries of BancorpSouth Bank. Insurance products are offered by BancorpSouth Insurance Services, Inc. Investment products are offered by BancorpSouth Investment Services, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Insurance and investment products are • Not a deposit • Not FDIC insured • Not insured by any federal government agency • Not guaranteed by the bank • May go down in value

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1/29/13 11:26:28 AM

Sports First-time Honor BIANCO SELECTED TO USA BASEBALL COACHING STAFF

M

ike Bianco, Ole Miss baseball head coach, will serve as the pitching coach for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, the organization said in December, when it announced the coaching staff for its collegiate squad that will compete internationally this summer.

This appointment marks the first time for the Rebel head coach to serve as an assistant with the organization despite a long-standing history between Bianco’s Rebels and USA Baseball. Seven players have competed internationally with the USA National Team in the last 10 seasons.

Bianco joins Tim Esmay of Arizona State and Ed Servais of Creighton as assistant coaches on the staff for 2013.

Esmay and Servais are both head coaches of their respective collegiate programs.

“As we continue preparations for the 2013 Collegiate National Team season, we are pleased to have Mike Bianco, Tim Esmay and Ed Servais join the staff,” says Eric Campbell, USA Baseball general manager, National Teams. “These coaches complete a great staff for the coming summer, and we look forward to having them represent our country in international competition.”

Jim Schlossnagle, Texas Christian University head coach, had previously been announced as the head coach for the international team.

“It’s a tremendous honor, and I’m excited about the opportunity to be a part of the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team this summer,” Bianco says. “It’s exciting to be part of a tremendous staff and to get to work with a good friend of mine like Jim

Schlossnagle and great coaches like Tim Esmay and Ed Servais.”

“Coach Bianco and I are longtime friends and colleagues,” Schlossnagle says. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for his baseball knowledge and ability to help pitchers improve. It will be a pleasure and an honor to have him on staff all summer with the USA National Team.”

Bianco is entering his 13th season at Ole Miss and has brought a sustained level of success to the Rebel baseball program with a career record of 571349-1 as a head coach (471-278-1 at Ole Miss).

USA Baseball is the national governing body for amateur baseball in the United States and is a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee and the International Baseball Federation. AR Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics

Mike Bianco, Ole Miss head coach, will coach the pitchers for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team in 2013.

42 Alumni Review

PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES A powerful resource for Mississippi

A D VA N C I N G O U R S TAT E T O G E T H E R

Contributing to per capita income, providing brain

to need government programs and more likely to read to

power for the state’s business and industry, encouraging

their children, vote, and volunteer. Collectively, they are a

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powerful force for advancing Mississippi.

communities. Mississippi Public University graduates are involved in all aspects of civic and community life.

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Mississippi’s future.

Studies have shown that college graduates are less likely

ADVANCING OUR STATE TOGETHER Alcorn State University | Delta State University | Jackson State University | Mississippi State University Mississippi University for Women | Mississippi Valley State University | The University of Mississippi | The University of Southern Mississippi

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Sports

Among Most Improved SOPHOMORE RANKED FOURTH IN SEC IN STROKE AVERAGE

A

Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics

fter an impressive fall that featured four top-five finishes, Ole Miss sophomore Blake Morris was named among the nation’s most improved golfers by Golf Digest.

The Waterbury, Conn., native helped the Rebels to a pair of team titles and posted a fall stroke average of 71.62, good for fourth best in the SEC, according to the Golfstat Cup ranking.

“Blake has worked very hard in the past year on his game,” says Ernest Ross, head coach of the Ole Miss men’s golf team. “He is becoming one of the top players in America and the SEC. With his desire to improve, I am sure he will continue getting better every day.”

Fans can read the article on GolfDigest.com. Morris and the Rebels return to action with the John Hayt Invitational beginning Feb. 24. AR Morris

Tennis Teams Ranked High JONAS LUTJEN REACHES CAREER-HIGH NO. 5 IN SINGLES

T Photo by Bill Kallenberg

he Ole Miss men’s tennis team begins the 2013 season ranked No. 13 in the nation, as the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA)

Lutjen 44 Alumni Review

announced its preseason team rankings as well as the latest individual rankings in early January. The Rebels continue to boast the top player in the Southeastern Conference in singles, with senior Jonas Lutjen moving up to a career-high No. 5 in the nation.

The tradition of excellence continues with the Rebels’ earning the program’s 17th top 15 preseason ranking in 20 years. This year also marks the 26th consecutive year for the Rebels to be among the preseason top 25.

The preseason team rankings are based mostly on the 2012 final ranking and results. The Rebels will have plenty of opportunities to make a statement as the SEC leads the nation with eight teams in the top 25. Fourteen of the Rebels’ opponents are ranked inside the top 40. “ We are ver y excited about this spring,” says Billy Chadwick, who begins his 31st season as head coach of the men’s tennis team. “The guys have worked hard all fall, and we have our sights on a championship season. We have a great home

schedule, beginning with the ITA Kickoff Weekend and including six SEC matches as well as hosting the SEC Tournament [in April].”

Lutjen, arguably one of the most improved players in the nation, boasted a team-leading 14-3 fall record including winning the Southern Intercollegiate and the ITA All-American Consolation bracket.

The Scheessel, Germany, native leads nine SEC players in the singles top 25.

The Ole Miss women’s tennis team earned a preseason ranking of No. 18, marking the fourth year in a row for the Rebels to start the season among the nation’s top 25.

“It’s great from a preseason standpoint to be voted No. 18 in the country,” says Mark Beyers, women’s tennis head coach.

“Obviously we’re going to have to show on the court that we’re deserving of this ranking. We’re going to be a very young team but a talented team. We are looking forward to all the opportunities we have to play top-ranked teams and try and improve upon our ranking.” AR

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The Office of Admissions and Enrollment Services Needs Your Help!

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Visit http://olemiss.edu/admissions/ VIPLauncher.html, click the link that applies to your students, and complete the form. We’ll add them to our VIP mailing list, and they’ll create a personalized website tailored to their interests.

Visit www.olemiss.edu/admissions or call us at 662-915-7226 or 1-800-OLEMISS (in Mississippi) to learn more about the Office of Admissions and Enrollment Services.

o f

M i s s i s s i p p i

arts &

Culture

Plunder b y Mar y Anna Evans, 306 pages, $24.95 (Hardcover), ISBN: 9781590589298 Archaeologist Faye Longchamp, her Native American husband, Joe Wolf Mantooth, and their 1-year-old son, Michael, have set up shop in a small Louisiana Gulf Coast town, where Faye is racing to research sites that may soon be covered by a massive oil spill. There they meet and befriend Amande Landreneau, a bright teen interested in archaeology, who has plans to lift herself out of poverty through education but whose grandmother and uncle have been murdered. Faye can’t help but get involved with Amande’s fight to keep herself out of the clutches of her greedy relatives, who are all trying to become her guardian in hopes of getting control of her inheritance, which includes a share of a small island that may hold a key to finding sunken treasure.

Mar y Anna Evans (MS 84) has degrees in physics and chemical engineering. Her background includes stints in environmental consulting and university administration. She lives in Florida with her three children and a cat.

46 Alumni Review

Sweetness Follows: The Story of Sam and the Treat of the Week b y Katy Houston, 128 pages, $21.95 (Hardcover), ISBN: 9780615583396 In 2007, during his junior year of college, Sam Lane was riding his bike in Athens, Ga., when he was hit by a drunk driver and sustained a traumatic brain injury. Lane’s friends and family were told to say their goodbyes as it was unlikely he would make it.

When Lane did make it, awakening after five weeks in a coma, Katy Houston, mother of his best friend, told him that she was going to “feed him back to health.” Every Monday morning for the following 62 weeks, Houston presented Lane with a different dessert, which affectionately became known as the “Treat of the Week.”

Sweetness Follows is a true story, told through pivotal figures in Lane’s recovery, and it features detailed recipes for all 62 treats. Through hard work, dedication, support of loved ones and the promise of a weekly treat from a family friend, Lane made a remarkable recovery.

Katy Houston resides in Ridgeland with her husband, Jamie G. Houston III. They have two sons, Jamie and Andrew.

One More Heartbeat: Chosen to Receive God’s Miracles b y Carolyn Carter, 168 pages, $13.95 (Paperback), ISBN: 9781449739355 According to survey results from Beliefnet, the top three reasons Christians pray are to ask God for guidance, to give thanks and to ask for help regarding health and safety issues.

But as Carolyn Carter points out, prayer isn’t a spare tire that should be pulled out only in times of trouble.

Rather, regular prayer is necessary to keep your life in control and well-balanced.

Carter’s memoir is a testament to the miraculous power of faith. She tells stories from some of the most trying times in her life, including a shaky marriage to a nonbeliever, the strains of raising a rebellious teenager and a life-changing experience that left her clinically dead for 20 minutes.

It was her faith in God, Carter says, that helped her survive the toughest times, including months of extensive rehabilitation after a pulmonary embolism left her unable to speak.

Carolyn Carter (BAEd 72) lives in Oxford with her family.

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. AR

2013

rebel

raveler T

T

he Ole Miss Alumni Association is offering a number of spectacular trips for 2013.

Alumni and friends obtain group rates and discounts. All prices are per person, based on double occupancy and subject to change until booking.

Airfare is not included unless noted. For a brochure or more information, contact the Alumni office at 662-915-7375.

You also can find the most current and complete listing of trips and prices on the Ole Miss Alumni Association’s website at www.olemissalumni.com/travel.

MYSTIQUE OF THE ORIENT CRUISE: SINGAPORE, VIETNAM, HONG KONG FEB. 23-MARCH 6, 2013 Discover vanished civilizations, the legacy of powerful and privileged dynasties, ancient cultures steeped in

Halong Bay, Vietnam 48 Alumni Review

fantastic mythologies and tranquil philosophies, a blend of colorful customs and some of the world’s great art and architectural treasures hidden amid secluded jungles and idyllic seascapes.

From the Malay Peninsula, Singapore, to the dazzling skyline of Hong Kong, fascinating “gateway” to the Orient, this comprehensive and exceptional 11-day voyage is the best way to experience the splendid coastline of Southeast Asia. See the Jewels of Vietnam — spectacular sampan-filled harbors, traditional terraced rice paddies, sacred pagodas and vibrant cities. Cruise aboard the six-star Silversea all-suite M.V. Silver Shadow. Unlike most other vessels, this is truly a small ship. And, unlike most other cruise offerings, abundant real exclusives and inclusives are included.

— From $5,999

SPLENDORS DOWN UNDER FEB. 24-MARCH 14, 2013 Discover captivating ports, scenic panoramas and unique wildlife in the land down under while cruising aboard the deluxe Oceania Cruises’ Marina, a vessel that offers exceptional service, accommodations and cuisine. The voyage sets out from New Zealand’s multicultural city of Auckland, an ideal place to learn about Maori culture or enjoy the natural volcanic formations that make up the landscape. Next, discover Tauranga and its lovely parks or nearby Rotorua with its fabulous geysers, and enjoy Napier’s picturesque countryside. Stroll past Gothic buildings in Wellington, savor the quaint charm of Christchurch, and admire Timaru’s Edwardian architecture, bluestone buildings and Maori rock art. Take in the majestic beauty of the

sense of awe, a sense of reverence. Set among towering pines, beautiful dogwoods and colorful azaleas, this place, this event, these feelings are special.

This is not an ordinary sports event. It is extraordinary. There is nothing else like it in the world. Its special guests deserve more than ordinary hospitality. They deserve the extraordinary. — From $525

Ayers Rock in Australia

Milford Sound fjord on the way to Australia, beginning with the exquisite landscapes in Tasmania. Then it’s on to see marvelous architecture in Melbourne before concluding your adventure in Sydney, home to one of the great iconic buildings of the 20th century, the Sydney Opera House. From Australia’s treasured east coast to the legendary beauty of New Zealand, this voyage reveals the splendors down under. — From $4,999, including airfare TANZANIA SAFARI DURING THE GREAT MIGRATION FEB. 25-MARCH 7, 2013 Travel with us on this 10-day safari of a lifetime into the majestic grasslands of Tanzania, Africa’s premier safari destination, during the annual Great Migration.

Visit three of Tanzania’s finest game parks — Lake Manyara National Park and the UNESCO World Heritage sites of the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater, with the best accommodations in Tanzania! Guided game drives reveal vast herds of elephants, wildebeests, zebras, gazelles and Cape buffalos, and prides of magnificent lions, cheetahs and leopards.

An expert curator illuminates human prehistory at Olduvai Gorge, the “cradle of mankind.” A two-night Tarangire Tented Camp post-program option is offered. This exceptional travel value includes all accommodations, game drives and most meals. — From $5,895

TAHITIAN JEWELS — SOLD OUT APRIL 7-19, 2013 Savor the tropical splendor of emeraldgreen palms, white-sand beaches and brilliant turquoise waters as you sail aboard the luxurious Oceania Cruises’ Marina to the most stunning destinations in the South Pacific, the gorgeous Polynesian islands. Experience a cruise with the finest service, accommodations and cuisine at sea, where every port of call is an island paradise. Admire multihued lagoons around Moorea, be engulfed by magnificent tropical beauty at Huahine, the “Garden Island,” and discover the region’s cultural heritage on beautiful Raiatea. Watch a sunset on romantic Bora Bora, and wander the black-sand beaches of Nuku Hiva. Sail to Hiva Oa, artist Paul Gauguin’s idyllic island home, and enchant your senses with colorful sea life on Rangiroa before returning to Papeete on the lovely island of Tahiti. Set adrift, catch the breeze, and discover Polynesia’s most beautiful gems on this exceptional voyage. — From $2,999, including airfare MASTERS GOLF TOURNAMENT APRIL 8-14, 2013 The Masters is not just a golf tournament, it is a state of mind. The Augusta National is not just a golf course, it is a sports cathedral. As the lucky few pass through the hallowed gates the first week of April every year, they do so with a

RIVER LIFE ALONG THE WATERWAYS OF HOLLAND AND BELGIUM APRIL 22-30, 2013 Join us in Holland and Belgium for nine days, cruising for seven nights aboard a state-of-the-art AMA Waterways vessel during the best time of year. Meet local residents during the exclusive Village Forum for a personal perspective of the Low Countries’ modern life and cultural heritage. Expert-led excursions include private canal cruises in Amsterdam and Bruges, the windmills of Kinderdijk, expert-led excursions to the prestigious Rijksmuseum, world-class KröllerMüller Museum, famous Keukenhof Gardens, medieval Antwerp and the impressive Delta Works. A pre-cruise option in Amsterdam is offered. This comprehensive, all-inclusive itinerary is continually praised as the ideal Holland and Belgium experience. — From $2,995 ITALIAN INSPIRATION APRIL 27-MAY 5, 2013 Embark on an inspiring voyage, where history and legends come to life as you travel the Mediterranean along the shores of Italy, Greece and Croatia.

Departing from Rome’s port, Civitavecchia, cruise south to Sorrento, a resort town nestled on the cliffs overlooking the Bay of Naples. Explore its charming old town, stroll the fascinating ruins of Pompeii, or visit the captivating Isle of Capri.

Then wander medieval lanes in the fascinating Sicilian town of Taormina, and gaze at the legendary, towering Mount Etna. Next, sail to Greece and take in the magnificent scenery of Zakynthos, and explore Corfu’s lovely old Venetian quarter. Before concluding your journey in the floating city of Venice, visit medieval Dubrovnik, the beautiful red-tiled gem on the Dalmatian coast. Cruise to celebrated ports aboard the elegant Winter 2013 49

2013 rebel

Traveler Riviera, Oceania Cruises’ newest ship, which boasts some of the finest amenities at sea. — From $1,799 KENTUCKY OAKS AND DERBY MAY 2-5, 2013 The Kentucky Derby is run annually on the first Saturday in May. This one-and-aquarter-mile race at the famed Churchill Downs is known as the “most exciting two minutes in sports” or the “Run for the Roses,” named for the blanket of roses draped over the winner. The attendance at the Kentucky Derby ranks first in North America and usually surpasses the attendance of all other stakes races. Travel packages are available for the Kentucky Derby and can be paired with the Kentucky Oaks, scheduled for the day prior, to give you access to both events. Room packages include three nights of hotel accommodations at the Hampton Inn, Country Inn & Suites or Holiday Inn Express; lounge access and celebrity jockey meet and greet; food and bars provided from morning to sundown; as well as transportation to and from the track on Oaks and Derby days.

— From $1,199 with room

Unalaska Island, Alaska 50 Alumni Review

TransPacific Voyage: Lands and Islands of Mystery MAY 5-20, 2013 Featuring a trip aboard the six-star, all ocean-view suite M.V. Silver Shadow, cruise from Tokyo to Japan’s Northern Islands, Russia’s Far East, the Bering Strait and Aleutian Islands of Alaska.

Optional excursions include the highlights and landmarks of Tokyo; a scenic excursion revealing Russia’s culinary, cultural and religious influences on Alaska; and a full-day fishing excursion in Homer, the “Halibut capital of the world.” The trip includes free airfare from 43 gateway cities, free beverages throughout, all gratuities and port taxes, dedicated butler service and $1,000 per couple shipboard credit. — From $4,995 CELTIC LANDS MAY 9-18, 2013 Cruise for eight nights aboard the exclusively chartered, deluxe M.S. Le Boréal from Edinburgh, Scotland, to Wales, Ireland and France. By special arrangement, Dwight David Eisenhower II, University of Pennsylvania

professor and grandson of former U.S. Gen. and President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Celia Sandys, historian and granddaughter of Great Britain’s former Prime Minister Winston Churchill, will join participants to provide exclusive lectures and personal insights. Enjoy guided excursions in each port of call, including the D-Day landing beaches i n No r m a n d y a n d t h e U N E S C O World Heritage sites of the Neolithic Ring of Brodgar and Skara Brae on the Orkney Islands and Caernarfon Castle near Holyhead, Wales. Edinburgh precruise and Paris post-cruise options are offered. — From $5,395 TRADE ROUTES OF COASTAL IBERIA MAY 22-30, 2013 This seven-night cruise from Barcelona, Spain, to Lisbon, Portugal, on the M.V. Silver Cloud promises fun and luxury.

Port calls include Valencia, Cartagena, and Cadiz, Spain. The cruise includes gourmet meals with single, unassigned seating, complimentary drinks and 24-hour room service. Also, onboard guest speakers will provide educational discussions on local history, nature and culture. Fitness classes and daily entertainment are also scheduled.

Extra excursions can be arranged, including tours of the historic Spanish port of Soller in Mallorca, Valencia, Cartagena and Granada. — From $4,399, including air from 43 gateway cities ANCIENT KINGDOMS OF CHINA JUNE 13-28, 2013 A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see Julie Nixon Eisenhower discuss China and her late father’s pivotal role in bringing Communist China out of isolation.

This comprehensive, 15-day journey includes a seven-night, exclusively chartered grand cruise along the fabled Yangtze River, sailing all the way from Shanghai upstream to Chongqing. And, spend two nights in Shanghai, one night in Xi’an and three nights in Beijing in five-star hotels. Highlights include

Greenland

five UNESCO World Heritage sites; the Three Gorges Dam; seldom-visited Nanjing, Huangshan and Wuhan; mystical Old and spectacular New Shanghai; Xi’an’s Terra Cotta Warriors; Beijing’s Forbidden City; and the Great Wall. A Guilin/Hong Kong post-program option is offered. — From $3,995 BALTIC TREASURES JUNE 24-JULY 5, 2013 Spend 10 nights aboard the cruise ship Marina, cruising to historic and scenic ports. With ports of call in Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Poland and Germany, this cruise promises a variety in scenery and culture. Activities in port include visiting the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg and a scenic drive to Berlin to see landmarks such as the Brandenburg Gate. The cruise program includes free round-trip airfare from select cities. — From $3,999

ALASKA’S GLACIERS AND THE INSIDE PASSAGE JUNE 27-JULY 4, 2013 Join this magnificent seven-night cruise from Vancouver, British Columbia, through the Inside Passage, to Seward, Alaska, aboard the six-star, all-suite M.V. Silver Shadow. Take advantage of early booking savings of $3,000 per couple. A host of complimentary features aboard ship include all onboard gratuities and port taxes, personal butler service and beverages throughout the cruise. See untouched coastlines, watch for wildlife, and cruise up close to the Sawyer and Hubbard glaciers. Call at historic Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Sitka. A Vancouver pre-cruise option and Fairbanks/Denali National Park post-cruise option are offered. — From $4,299, including air from 43 gateway cities

ICELAND TO GREENLAND — TO THE ARCTIC CIRCLE IN THE WAKE OF THE VIKINGS AUG. 12-24, 2013 Join this once-in-a-lifetime, 13-day itinerary from Iceland to the beautiful, rugged west coast of Greenland and the rarely visited Arctic Circle. Cruise aboard the deluxe M.S. Le Boréal, featuring all outside staterooms and suites and including all excursions and meals. Call on ports inaccessible to larger vessels on this exclusive itinerary, and explore one of the world’s last great frontiers. Be among the few people in the world to ever cross into the Arctic Circle. Visit remote towns and settlements to learn more about the fascinating Inuit people. Zodiac excursions are led by expert naturalist guides. A pre-cruise option in Northern Iceland is offered. This exclusive opportunity will sell out quickly! — From $7,595

Winter 2013 51

News alumni

Class Notes ’50s

MARY LIBBY PAYNE (BA 54, LLB 55) was honored with an endowed lecture series bearing her name at Mississippi College School of Law. She served as the school’s founding dean from 1975-78.

LEE DAVIS THAMES (BA 58, LLB 60) of Vicksburg was named a Life Science Star in LMB Life Sciences. He is a member of the Product Liability Group of Butler, Snow, O’Mara, Stevens & Cannada PLLC.

’60s

LOUIS F. ALLEN (LLB 64), of Glankler Brown PLLC in Memphis, was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2013.

DAVID BLAYLOCK (LLB 64), of Glankler Brown PLLC in Memphis, was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2013. He was also named Memphis Lawyer of the Year (Bankruptcy) by Best Lawyers.

DR. VAN L. LACKEY (BS 68, MD 72) of Madison was named executive medical director of Baptist Cancer Services. He practiced at Jackson Oncology Associates and has served on the medical staff at area hospitals.

as a Top Rated Lawyer practicing in the category of Criminal Defense-White Collar by The American Lawyer magazine and Martindale-Hubbell. He is a partner in Phelps Dunbar LLP’s Jackson office.

L.F. SAMS JR. (BA 61, LLB 63), of Mitchell, McNutt & Sams P.A. in Tupelo, was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2013.

DENNIS W. VOGE (BA 67, JD 71), of Mitchell, McNutt & Sams P.A. in Tupelo, was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2013.

WILLIAM C. SPENCER SR. (BA 67, JD 70), of Mitchell, McNutt & Sams P.A. in Tupelo, was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2013.

JOHN TARDY (BA 63) of Walnut was elected the Mississippi department commander for the American Legion. He previously served as Northern Area commander, District 1 commander and post commander of Post 81 in Ripley. He retired from the U.S. Army in 1998.

FRANK W. TRAPP (BA 69, JD 72) was selected

Silver Honor

’70s

LARRY CALVERT (BSPh 71) was appointed by Gov. Phil Bryant to the Mississippi Board of Pharmacy. He is a staff pharmacist and board chair at St. Vincent de Paul Community Pharmacy in Gulfport.

BILLY CREWS (BA 78) was hired as vice president, strategic partnerships for Teach for America in the Mississippi Delta region, based in Oxford. He was previously with Journal Inc., where he served for 20 years as chief executive officer and publisher for the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.

Photo by Pablo Corona

FACULTY AND STAFF RECOGNIZED FOR 25 YEARS OF SERVICE

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he Ole Miss Alumni Association hosted an annual luncheon in December honoring faculty and staff who have worked for the university for 25 consecutive years. Ole Miss Alumni Association President Larry Bryan presided, and Chancellor Dan Jones presented the awards.

Honorees included Carla Bennett, Atef Elsherbeni, Earnie Harrison, Shellie O. Harrison, Kathleen Henry, R. Suzette Henry, Michael H. Hoffheimer, Phyllis W. Holmes, Freda S. Knight, Royce Kurtz, Iwo Labuda, Lynn Mills, Eugenia A. Minor, Glenn R. Parsons, Richard Raspet, Robert Riggs, Ronald J. Rychlak and Patricia Stewart. AR 52 Alumni Review

Window of Opportunity

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he Ole Miss Alumni Association’s Past Presidents’ Spouses Club has embarked on an exciting campaign to purchase a new stained glass transom for The Inn at Ole Miss. The new transom, depicting Barnard Observatory, will join depictions of the Grove, the Lyceum, Ventress Hall and Triplett Alumni Center, which now grace the Inn’s elegant lobby.

The club needs your help! $10,000 is needed to design, craft, and install the new window. Donations may be made to: Ole Miss Alumni Association Window Fund, P.O. Box 1848, University, MS 38677. Donations are tax-deductible.

Help us add to the beauty of our beloved Ole Miss! Hotty Toddy!

GOAL: 25,000 ACTIVE MEMBERS Only you can help your Alumni Association reach this important milestone!

Make your Alumni Association the strongest in the SEC and the nation by renewing your membership each year and encouraging classmates, neighbors, fans and Ole Miss supporters to also join and remain active.

Even fans who didn’t graduate from Ole Miss can join as Associate Members.

Membership Options

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Middle Name

Maiden Name

__$40 Annual

Address

__$50 Annual Joint __$800 Life

City, State, ZIP, Country Email

Phone

__$850 Life Payment Plan ($170 annually for 5 years)

Visa

__$995 Joint Life

Window Decal Preference: Inside

__$1,050 Joint Life Payment Plan ($210 annually for 5 years)

MasterCard

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Print name on card Outside

I am already an annual member. Please auto-renew my membership each year.

Renew or join online at www.olemissalumni.com, or fill out this form and mail to Ole Miss Alumni Association, P.O. Box 1848, University, MS 38677. Questions? Call 662-915-7375.

CODE: REV

News alumni

MICHAEL D. FERRIS (BA 77, JD 80), of Mitchell, McNutt & Sams P.A. in Tupelo, was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2013.

DAVID P. MANUEL (MA 72, PhD 75) was named president of Louisiana State University at Alexandria. He previously served as the university’s chancellor.

DAVID LEE MILLER (BBA 79) of Tupelo was appointed to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Auditing Standards Board for a three-year term.

GEORGE NASSAR JR. (BBA 77, JD 79), of Glankler Brown PLLC in Memphis, was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2013. He was also named Memphis Lawyer of the Year (Trusts & Estates) by Best Lawyers.

’80s

DR. DAVID BRADEN (MD 84), a pediatric cardiologist with Mississippi Children’s Heart in Jackson, joined the medical staff of Baptist Health System.

MAJ. GEN. LEON COLLINS (BBA 82) of Madison was inducted into the inaugural Northeast Mississippi Community College Alumni Hall of Fame. He is the adjutant general of the Mississippi National Guard.

LOUIS JACKSON (BBA 83) was hired as vice president-dealer services group with Independent Bank in Memphis.

ALWYN LUCKEY (BA 82, JD 85) of Ocean Springs was elected to serve as vice chairman of the State Personnel Board. In addition to his private law practice, he is the city judge for Ocean Springs.

DR. C. DAMON MOORE (BA 86), of Pediatric Healthcare and Inova Loudoun Hospital in Virginia, was one of two pediatricians in the nation to receive the Local Heroes Award at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference & Exhibition in New Orleans.

’90s

DR. SUSAN A. CHIARITO (MD 93) of Vicksburg was elected president of the Mississippi Academy of Family Physicians. She practices at Mission Primary Care and has mentored medical students as a preceptor for the University of Mississippi Medical Center since 2000.

54 Alumni Review

Familiar Faces

TWO ALUMNI IN MILITARY SHARE MANY CONNECTIONS

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t. Col. Leonard Boothe (BBA 86, MBA 94) and Lt. Col. Dex McCain (BBA 92) have a lot in common. Both are from Batesville, graduated from South Panola High School, were commissioned through Air Force ROTC Detachment 430 at the University of Mississippi, are stationed at MaxwellGunter AFB, Ala., and were both deployed to Baghdad, Iraq. The two men have nearly 50 years of combined military service. Boothe and McCain both worked in the Office of Security Cooperation in Iraq, whose mission is to conduct security cooperation in order to support Iraq’s continued development into a sovereign, stable and long-term self-reliant strategic partner that contributes to peace and security in the region. AR

TIA DEES (BA 91) of Jackson is working as project manager for the Mississippi Development Authority.

TIM HOLDER (BA 94) of Vicksburg was named publisher of The Meridian Star.

WILLIAM LEE HON (JD 90) of Livingston was appointed to serve on the board of directors of Children’s Advocacy Centers of Texas Inc. He is the district attorney of Polk County, Texas, and is serving as president of the Texas District and County Attorneys Association.

MICHAEL MARTIN (BAccy 93, MAccy 94) of Tupelo was appointed to a three-year term

on the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) State and Local Government Expert Panel. He was also named business manager at Lee County Schools in Tupelo.

JOHN PATRICK MOONEY JR. (BBA 96) joined the staff of Mississippi Federal Credit Union in Oxford. He serves as loan officer and heads up new business development.

BRIAN C. TALLEY (BS 97, DMD 02) completed his postdoctoral residency program in pediatric dentistry at Children’s Hospital Colorado. He joined the practice of Dr. Halley White in Wilmington, N.C.

news for us!

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Winter 2013 55

News alumni

J. BLAKE THOMPSON (BSPH 97, MS 01, PhD 02) was named vice president for economic and workforce development and special assistant to the president of Ohio State University in Columbus.

JAMES P. WILSON JR. (BBA 94, JD 97), of Mitchell, McNutt & Sams P.A. in Tupelo, was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2013.

LEE ZOLLER (BBA 91) serves as president of Green & Little L.P. in Gallatin, Tenn. The company was honored with the 2012 Outstanding Planning Award from the Tennessee Chapter of the American Planning Association.

’00s

CHARLES CASCIO (BBA 08) was promoted to congressional lobbyist for the American Osteopathic Association and serves as director of government relations for the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians in Washington, D.C. LAURA BRAME CERRA (BBA 05) opened Laura Brame Cerra, CPA, a public accounting firm in Laurel. She was elected to serve as secretary for the Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants.

GORDON FELLOWS (BA 06) of Tupelo joined the Mississippi Bankers Association staff as vice president, government relations.

MELANIE HATCHER (BBA 06) of Birmingham was promoted to sponsor services manager at the IMG College headquarters in WinstonSalem, N.C. DENSON HOLLIS (BA 01), development officer II with the University of Mississippi, graduated from Leadership Lafayette, a program designed to ensure the continuity of leadership in the Lafayette-Oxford-University community.

ALEX JACKSON (BA 09) of Girardeau, Mo., was promoted to associate director of development for KRCU Public Radio at Southeast Missouri State University.

JOSHUA D. JORDAN (BBA 03) of Madison was named vice president of business development with Insurance Solutions Group Inc.

JOHN G. ROBERTS (BAccy 03, BBA 03), an associate at Sherrard & Roe PLC, Nashville, was appointed to the State Board of Accountancy as an attorney member by Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam.

VINCE VAVRUNEK (BALM 00), owner of SERVPRO of Brandon, received the 2012 Rankin Chamber Franchise of the Year award.

’10s

JOHN LESLIE BROOKS (BBA 11), multiline general agent for American National Insurance in Denver, Colo., received a nonresident Mississippi life license.

CASSIE BRYANT (BA 12) of Long Beach was named administrator in the Key Services Department with Phi Theta Kappa.

COLE FOWLER (BSCvE 10, MSESc 12) joined the Pickering Firm’s Flowood office as a civil engineer intern.

JUSTIN LOVORN (BA 08, BA 09) joined the District Attorney’s office in Jackson County.

He was sworn in as an assistant district attorney.

Coach of the Year

Ole Miss Alumna and Former Head Coach Honored in WNBA

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56 Alumni Review

Photo courtesy UM Athletics

os Angeles Sparks Coach Carol Ross (BAEd 82) received the 2012 WNBA Coach of the Year Award, announced in October. Ross received 15 votes from a national panel of 41 sportswriters and broadcasters.

Ross, who coached at Ole Miss from 2003-07, was the third member of the Los Angeles organization to receive WNBA honors in 2012. She is a life member of the Ole Miss Alumni Association.

The Sparks authored a significant turnaround in 2012, finishing the regular season with the league’s third best record (24-10) and earning the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference of the WNBA Playoffs. Los Angeles’ nine-game improvement over last season (15-19) is the second largest turnaround in franchise history.

Prior to her tenure in WNBA, Ross amassed a 324-161 (.668) record in 16 seasons as an NCAA Division I head coach in the Southeastern Conference, guiding her teams to 12 NCAA tournaments and two WNIT appearances. Twelve of those seasons (1990-2002) were spent at the University of Florida. There Ross coached Sparks forward DeLisha Milton-Jones, who went on to become a two-time WNBA All-Star, win two WNBA championships and earn a pair of Olympic gold medals. AR

ARE YOU A CARD-CARRYING OLE MISS FAN?

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Then put the Ole Miss Regions Visa® CheckCard* in your wallet. All you need is any Regions checking account.

There’s never been a better time to show your school spirit with a new Ole Miss CheckCard with a Regions checking account, so stop by any branch, speak with an associate or visit regions.com/gorebels for more information.

Checking | Savings | Personal Lending | Advice and Guidance Visit a branch, call 1.800.regions or go to regions.com/gorebels Official Bank of the

© 2013 Regions Bank. All deposit accounts are subject to the Regions Deposit Agreement. *Additional fees apply to collegiate CheckCards. All loans are subject to credit approval. CheckCard is subject to terms and conditions.

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Winter 2013 57

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News alumni

WEDDINGS Pamela Ruth Beidleman (JD 10) and Brian Mark King, June 30, 2012.

Elisha Jewell Blades and Matthew Richard Bailey (BAccy 06, MAccy 07), Sept. 22, 2012.

Sarah Rose Buchanan (BA 07, JD 10) and Robert Hudson Lomenick (BBA 08), Oct. 27, 2012.

Rebekah Ann Griffin and Jeffrey Michael Payne (BAccy 09, MAccy 10), Sept. 22, 2012.

Nancy Harrelson (BA 75, JD 77) and Richard Boyd Akin (BA 73, DMD 79), Sept. 29, 2012.

Trinity LeAnn Ryals and Scott Jared Walker (BBA 01), Nov. 3, 2012.

Harriet Williams Bilbo (78) and C. Stevens Seale (BA 75, BA 75, JD 87), Oct. 19, 2012.

BIRTHS Tison Elizabeth, daughter of Catherine Quaka Deweese (MEd 06) and Clay Allen Deweese (BBA 04), Feb. 28, 2012.

Anabella Joy and Luke Carter, twins of Caroline Green Felker (BA 03) and Lance Felker (BBA 00, MBA 09), Sept. 6, 2012.

Nora Lynn, daughter of Mary Martin Guerieri and George Edward “Trey” Guerieri III (BS 07), Oct. 4, 2012.

Matthew Allen, son of Amber Smithers Holdiness (BSPhSc 07, PharmD 09) and Samuel Joseph Holdiness (BS 06, MD 11), Sept. 9, 2012.

Eloise Marr, daughter of Lauren McFall Hollis (BSFCS 04) and Denson Braswell Hollis (BA 01), Nov. 7, 2012.

Stanley Clayton, son of Carla Crawford Jackson and David E. “Bo” Jackson Jr. (BBA 77), Jan. 20, 2012.

Scott Davenport Jr., son of Kelley Ford Kaigler (BPS 11) and Scott Davenport Kaigler (BA 10), Oct. 6, 2012.

Russell James, son of Amy Corkern Pieralisi (BBA 02) and James F. “Jay” Pieralisi (BAccy 95, BBA 02), July 10, 2012.

Payton Jack, son of Gretta George Stephens (BAEd 99, MEd 00) and William Adams Stephens (BBA 98), Oct. 4, 2012.

In Memoriam 1930s Marion Freeman Bowen (BA 39) of Richton, Nov. 6, 2012 Martha Johnson Cushman (BAEd 37) of Senatobia, Oct. 19, 2012 Lelia Terry Morrow (BSC 38) of New Orleans, La., Sept. 6, 2012 1940s Josephine Burnham Bowers (BA 44) of Watkinsville, Ga., Aug. 28, 2012 William M. Brewer (BSC 41) of Gulfport, Sept. 16, 2012 Lavonne Laird Bush (BA 44) of Decatur, Ga., Sept. 4, 2012 Robert Dudley Childress (BBA 49) of Austin, Texas, Nov. 14, 2012 Joseph Hardin Clements Jr. (MBA 48) of Hattiesburg, Sept. 2, 2012 Patsy Conerly Davis (49) of Hattiesburg, Sept. 27, 2012 George Leroy Dowd (MA 49, MEd 52, EdD 56) of Bartlett, Tenn., Oct. 3, 2012 Jane Williams Droke (BA 45) of Memphis, Tenn., Sept. 26, 2012 Wilton Ernest Dyson Jr. (BSC 41) of Birmingham, Ala., Oct. 21, 2012

New Family Member

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ort Kaigler (BA 10), alumni assistant and senior club coordinator for the Ole Miss Alumni Association, welcomed an addition to his family this past fall. Scott Davenport Jr. was born Oct. 6, 2012 to Kaigler and his wife, Kelley (BPS 11). Also welcoming Davenport was big sister Rowan. Kaigler joined the Alumni Association staff in 2010 and oversees all local alumni clubs in Mississippi as well as Memphis. He also organizes the annual Rebel Road Trip and leadership conference for local club leaders, and manages the Alumni Association’s sports travel program. AR 58 Alumni Review

Martha Fancher Ellard (49) of Poplar Bluff, Mo., Sept. 17, 2011 Willie Blythe Handy (BAEd 40) of Daphne, Ala., Nov. 7, 2012 Josephine Ayres Haxton (BA 42) of Jackson, Nov. 7, 2012 Beckett Howorth Jr. (MedCert 44, BA 44) of Oxford, Oct. 31, 2012 Mary Rogers Davis Jones (44) of Natchez, Nov. 7, 2012 Mary Parran McKnight (BSHPE 46) of Arlington, Tenn., Oct. 9, 2012 George Powell Montgomery Jr. (40) of Ridgeland, Sept. 6, 2012 Edna Ozborn Moore (BAEd 47) of Philadelphia, Oct. 19, 2012 Joshua M. Morse III (LLB 48) of Tallahassee, Fla., Sept. 14, 2012 Betty Latta Ratcliffe (47) of Natchez, Nov. 3, 2012 Helen Childress Russell (BSC 43) of Memphis, Tenn., Nov. 17, 2012 Hubert Whitfield Tucker (BBA 48) of Columbia, S.C., Sept. 13, 2012 Mary Griffin Waggener (BAEd 45) of Lake Placid, Fla., Sept. 1, 2012

1950s Rosemary Vaughan Aldridge (BAEd 59) of Corinth, Sept. 20, 2012

Donald Otis Simmons (LLB 52) of Gulfport, Nov. 11, 2012

Harold David Brewer (BA 51, BSPh 51, MD 58) of Plant City, Fla., Nov. 5, 2012

Marysue Neill Sullivan (57) of Mendenhall, Nov. 17, 2012

Charles Henry Burton (BBA 55) of Crystal Springs, Sept. 7, 2012 James Whitten Childers (BBA 50, MBA 56) of Birmingham, Ala., Sept. 14, 2012 John McFerrin Curlee Jr. (MEd 56) of Booneville, Sept. 29, 2012 Charles A. Ellard (BAEd 58) of Poplar Bluff, Mo., Sept. 6, 2012 Gray Evans (LLB 58) of Greenwood, Oct. 17, 2012 Billy Ellington Graves Jr. (BBA 58) of Winona, Aug. 25, 2012 C.E. Henley (55) of Aberdeen, Oct. 23, 2012 L. Gerald Hopkins (BSPh 51, MD 61) of Oxford, Oct. 19, 2012 Joyce Hathorn Kendricks (56) of Oxford, Nov. 4, 2012 Dale Stanley Klaessy (BA 55) of Parkers Prairie, Minn., Sept. 9, 2012 Sue Rogers Mathews (BA 51, BS 52) of Shreveport, La., Oct. 10, 2012 Jeanne Knost McClendon (BSHPE 50) of Kansas City, Mo., Sept. 30, 2012 David M. McDonald (BBA 50) of Memphis, Tenn., Nov. 1, 2012 John Hebron Moore (MA 51) of Tallahassee, Fla., Oct. 24, 2012 John Maurice Pearson (MD 57) of Hattiesburg, Sept. 2, 2012 Donald Thomas Rigler (BSChE 55) of Natchitoches, La., Oct. 19, 2012 Barbara Allen Sappington (BA 51) of Canton, Sept. 27, 2012

Theresa Grimes Streibich (BA 55) of Memphis, Tenn., Aug. 27, 2012 Margaret Mills Ward (BA 52) of Natchez, Aug. 30, 2012 Earl Marcus Wiggs Jr. (57) of Memphis, Tenn., Oct. 1, 2012 Thomas Epps Wilson III (51) of Jackson, Aug. 26, 2012 James A. Womack (MBEd 51) of Clinton, Oct. 6, 2012 1960s Blanche Ferguson Aldrich (MEd 64) of Memphis, Tenn., Aug. 24, 2012 Richard Marvin Almond (BBA 66) of Lakeland, Tenn., Nov. 1, 2012 Fred M. Belk Jr. (BA 61, LLB 63) of Holly Springs, Sept. 29, 2012 Clara Ellis Billings (BA 60) of Memphis, Tenn., Aug. 27, 2012 Bill Bolton (BSHPE 64, MEd 65) of Montezuma, Ga., Sept. 22, 2012 Ava Hardin Bonds (BM 67) of Oxford, Oct. 18, 2012 William Eubank Jr. (BBA 62, MS 66) of Madison, Oct. 16, 2012 Bonnie Crutchfield Farr (MEd 62) of Gulfport, Sept. 2, 2012 Patricia Monteith Gibbs (61) of Oxford, Sept. 24, 2012 Willie Travick Green (JD 68) of Beverly Hills, Fla., Oct. 29, 2012 Emma Stroud Griffin (BAEd 65) of Meridian, Oct. 5, 2012 Pamela Magee Holmes (BA 63) of West Monroe, La., Oct. 27, 2012

Winter 2013 59

News alumni

Ernest Jackson Johnson (MD 61) of Tucson, Ariz., Aug. 25, 2012

Webster Spiller Breeding (72) of Fort Worth, Texas, Nov. 9, 2012

Martin A. Kilpatrick (BA 65, JD 68) of Memphis, Tenn., Sept. 5, 2011

Travis Allen Canfield (BS 74) of Glenmoore, Pa., Oct. 11, 2012

Martha Reece Lakes (BAEd 65, MEd 68) of Springboro, Ohio, Oct. 22, 2012

Randy Lee Collums (BBA 72) of Pontotoc, Nov. 15, 2012

Patricia Chadwick Lamar (BAEd 63) of Oxford, Sept. 24, 2012

Daniel Alan Conway (BAEd 74) of Albany, Ore., Nov. 18, 2012

Floyd Lamar Lummus (MD 60) of Tupelo, Oct. 21, 2012

Doyle Vance Day (MEd 74) of Myrtle, Oct. 10, 2012

James Cal Mayo Sr. (LLB 62) of Louisville, Aug. 27, 2012

Timothy Alan Farr (BA 78) of Memphis, Tenn., Oct. 5, 2012

Thomas K. McCraw (BA 62) of Belmont, Mass., Nov. 3, 2012

Ethridge B. Hampton Jr. (BBA 79) of Louisville, Oct. 1, 2012

Kathryn E. McDuffie (BAEd 68) of Oxford, Nov. 20, 2012

Barbara Kay Hargrove (MEd 71) of Memphis, Tenn., Sept. 27, 2012

Larry Wayne McMillen (BAEd 66) of New Albany, Sept. 9, 2012

Sara Key Hudson (BAEd 70, MLS 72) of Starkville, Oct. 9, 2012

Marvin Lanier Sanders (BA 66, MA 72) of Collierville, Tenn., Nov. 5, 2012

N. Donald Jenkins Sr. (BBA 74) of Jonesboro, Ark., Sept. 29, 2012

Vela Willis Shirley Jr. (MA 68) of Madison, Aug. 24, 2012

Russell Pearson Jordan (BBA 76) of Dundee, Sept. 20, 2012

Carole Gifford Spencer (BSC 66) of Corinth, Sept. 10, 2012

Kathleen Abrahamson Kreush (BA 71) of Rock Island, Ill., Sept. 14, 2010

Joy Doss Stephenson (MEd 69, EdD 75) of Shreveport, La., Sept. 25, 2012

Joseph A. Lawrence (BBA 78) of Madison, Oct. 2, 2012

Polly Borden Stroup (BAEd 63) of Tupelo, Oct. 29, 2012

Caroline Harris Manley (BAEd 73) of Mantachie, Oct. 17, 2012

Benny Joe Surratt (BA 68) of Biloxi, Aug. 25, 2012

Pamela Ann Massey (76) of Oxford, Sept. 13, 2012

Harrell David Whitten (MS 69, PhD 74) of Baton Rouge, La., Aug. 22, 2012

William F. McElroy III (BBA 78) of Germantown, Tenn., Aug. 23, 2012

John Ellis Williams (MD 61) of Long Beach, Nov. 5, 2012

Rose Swann Mitchell (MEd 74) of Pontotoc, Sept. 18, 2012 Johnny Moore (BA 78) of University, Oct. 15, 2012

1970s Godwin O. Agulanna (BBA 79, MBA 82, MPA 83) of Jackson, Oct. 28, 2012

William Ray Neal (PhD 77) of Campbellsville, Ky., Nov. 3, 2012

Robert Julian Allen III (BBA 70) of Oxford, Nov. 7, 2012

Charlotte Townsend Owen (MEd 73) of Marks, Oct. 27, 2012

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Grover W. Barnes (MS 73, PhD 75) of Memphis, Tenn., Oct. 13, 2012

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Jerry Miller O’Connor (79) of Madison, Sept. 3, 2012

Mary Kathryn Mann Robbins (BS 79, MEd 95) of Booneville, Oct. 26, 2012 John R. Sanders (MD 71) of Tupelo, Sept. 29, 2012 Roy Bryant Scott (79) of Memphis, Tenn., Sept. 29, 2012 Susan Rebecca Stanley (MEd 77) of Hernando, Oct. 23, 2012 Ann Jennings Whitfield (70) of Corinth, Nov. 15, 2012

1990s Anne Maureen Brant (MSN 97) of Corinth, Nov. 2, 2012 Louis James Brunoforte (JD 92) of Spring Hill, Fla., May 8, 2012 Lonnie Alvin Franklin Jr. (BBA 92) of Memphis, Tenn., Nov. 3, 2012 James Andrew Hancock (Cert 94) of Yazoo City, Sept. 19, 2012

Cynthia Greene Yeager (BSN 78) of Jackson, Oct. 30, 2012

Newell G. Jerome Jr. (BPA 91) of Blytheville, Ark., Oct. 22, 2012

1980s Deborah Parker Busching (BS 80) of Ridgeland, Nov. 6, 2012

James Larry Nichols (JD 96) of Fort Myers, Fla., Oct. 2, 2012

Bruce Warren Culp Jr. (BBA 82) of Dallas, Texas, Oct. 21, 2012

2000s William James Correll (BA 09) of Winston Salem, N.C., Oct. 12, 2012

G. Austin Dill III (DMD 86) of Gulfport, Oct. 1, 2012 Keenah Keys Dye (BSN 85) of New Albany, Oct. 29, 2012 Jewell Wendell Fortenberry Jr. (MD 80) of Atlanta, Ga., Oct. 18, 2012 Toni Bertolet Henthorn (BA 84, MD 88) of Highlands Ranch, Colo., Sept. 29, 2012 Kim Billingsley Hill (BA 87, MEd 96) of Oxford, Sept. 12, 2012 Kay Miller Jolly (MEd 81, SpecEd 87, EdD 00) of Booneville, Nov. 13, 2012 Melanie Reynolds Lanier (BS 87) of Albany, Ga., Sept. 4, 2012 Joell Harris McBeth (88) of Brandon, Nov. 14, 2012 Kimberly Bounds Mims (BSN 85) of Grenada, Oct. 4, 2012 Linda McAuliffe Roderick (MS 80) of Lithonia, Ga., Oct. 31, 2012 Kathy Salley Wood (BS 87) of Eupora, Nov. 12, 2012

Adrienne Warren May (BAEd 95, BS 00) of Helena, Mont., Sept. 17, 2012

Eugene Murphy Hauck (00) of Cleveland, Ohio, Oct. 7, 2012 Paul Lancaster Henry II (MED 00) of Lake Charles, La., Dec. 18, 2011 Andrew Galbreath Sandefur (BSCJ 09) of Brandon, Oct. 22, 2012 Tina Moore Smart (BAEd 09) of Coldwater, Oct. 17, 2012 2010s Justin Allen Ledbetter (12) of Bruce, Sept. 3, 2012 Ryan Phil Malone (BSES 11) of Oxford, Sept. 27, 2012 Harlon Ray Smith Jr. (12) of Saltillo, Aug. 27, 2012 John William Wheat (12) of Oxford, Oct. 27, 2012 Sarah Katherine Wheat (BS 12) of Oxford, Oct. 27, 2012

HERE’S YOUR LICENSE TO BRAG! Now you can sport the official University of Mississippi license plate!

For an additional $50 a year — $32.50 of which returns to Ole Miss for educational enhancement — you can purchase this “license to brag” about your alma mater. When it’s time to renew your license plate, simply tell your local tax collector you want the Ole Miss affinity license plate. It’s an easy way to help your University.

This particular tag is available to Mississippi drivers only. Some other states, however, offer an Ole Miss affinity license plate. Check with your local tax collector for availability.

Winter 2013 61

News alumni

Faculty and Friends David M. Barker of Hattiesburg, Sept. 14, 2012

Charles Anthony Panetta of Oxford, Sept. 23, 2012

William Joel Blass of Pass Christian, Oct. 23, 2012

Theron Russell Pinion of Oxford, Sept. 27, 2012

Randolph Dillon Peets Jr. of Jackson, Oct. 26, 2012

William Otto Boo of Gulf Breeze, Fla., Sept. 7, 2011

Robert Wayne Plants of Oxford, Oct. 14, 2012

Arvis Vertis Cumbest of Pascagoula, Sept. 16, 2012

Hugh Miller Surratt of Lake Worth, Fla., Aug. 5, 2011

Mattie Sue Burton Draper of Sardis, Nov. 10, 2012

Rex Fredrick Thompson Sr. of McCool, Oct. 31, 2012

Elizabeth Cummings Fortune Jr. of Atlanta, Ga., Oct. 31, 2012

William Pierre Tompkins Jr. of Madison, Sept. 26, 2012

Margaret Adams Freeman of Byram, Oct. 2, 2012

Katherine Graham Townes of Grenada, Sept. 5, 2012

Joan Rosser Griggs of Tuscumbia, Ala., Sept. 14, 2012

Dwight Van de Vate of Knoxville, Tenn., Aug. 25, 2012

Sandra Broome Hatcher of Cartersville, Ga., Oct. 31, 2012

Virginia Walker Williams of Oxford, Nov. 7, 2012

Loramarie Meyer Henry of Gulfport, Aug. 28, 2012

Cenie W. Willingham of Taylor, Sept. 11, 2012

Robert John Juster of Oxford, Oct. 24, 2012 Hautense Stuckey Lauderdale of Hernando, Sept. 30, 2012

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 www.olemissalumni.com. The Association relies on numerous sources for class notes and is unable to verify all notes with individual alumni. AR

Rangavalli B. Manyam of Oxford, Aug. 22, 2012 Thomas David McIlwain of Ocean Springs, Oct. 31, 2012 Carl Meisenheimer of Paducah, Ky., Oct. 29, 2012 Sally McCarty Meisenheimer of Paducah, Ky., Oct. 1, 2012 Julius Minor of Oxford, Sept. 22, 2012 Mable Gregg Montgomery of Greenwood, Sept. 2, 2012 Carol Richter Mullen of Brandon, Sept. 3, 2012

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62 Alumni Review

More than 170 years on the Oxford Square.

Owned and operated by proud Ole Miss Alumni in the gracious tradition of the University.

Serving Oxford, Lafayette County and the University of Mississippi

TUESDAY, MAY 25, 2010

Erosion problems wash away county officials’ patience

BY ALYSSA SCHNUGG Staff Writer

The Lafayette County Planning Commission has ordered the owners of Williams Equipment Co. to

produce a plan of action on how it intends to solve erosion issues once and for all at its construction site located across from the Cumberland subdivision.

“I need a schedule of how this is going to progress with a time frame I can put my hands on by June 1,” County Engineer Larry Britt said at Monday’s Planning Commission meeting.

Williams Equipment started con-

struction in the summer of 2008 on its new home for the commercial business on 4.3 acres of land located on Highway 6 West. Since construction began, neighbors have complained the runoff from the graded property has caused silt to run onto their lawns, destroying grass and bushes, as well as cause local flooding.

A year ago, a cease and desist order was issued until erosion problems were handled.

“We have had some problems with erosion out there that we’ve been dealing with for a year and a half,” Britt said.

When 3 inches of rain fell in Oxford within 30 minutes last week, the issue resurfaced when silt and water caused erosion on some of the adjoining landowners’ property.

See SOLUTION on Page 2

Oxford schools set budget hearing

GRADUATION CELEBRATION

POMERANZ HONORED Ole Miss left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz was named as the recipient of the 2010 Cellular South Ferriss Trophy given to the top collegiate baseball player in the state of Mississippi. For more details on the honor, see Page 6.

BUSINESSMAN ARRESTED A local businessman who has been on the lam from the law was arrested last week. Get the details on Page 2.

EDUCATION NEWS Turn to Pages 6 and 7 of Education to find out what’s happening with local teachers and students.

UM GRADS

ONLINE

The Oxfo rd Eagle E-Edition helps you keep up w ith your home awa y from ho me Complete Coverage o Ofocuses le Monisother BP probe companies’ workf s Sp orts BRUCE NEWMAN

Many of the students graduating from the University of Mississippi earlier this month were from the Oxford area.

Turn to Pages 5 and 10 to read the names of the locals who picked up a diploma.

Brittney Deonna Jeffries (from left), Wesley Lane Carroll and Kimberly Annette Wilson throw their caps at the Scott Center’s graduation ceremony on Monday afternoon. Also graduating were Laura Leeann Brower and Dillon Lee Hopkins.

Report: Oversite workers accepted gifts from oil companies

INDEX

Classifieds 12-13 Local 2-3 Comics 14 Obituaries 2 Editorial 4 Sports 8-9 Education 6-7 Weather 2

Number 1 Daily in Mississ ippi (Circula

BY GREG BLUESTEIN AND

MATTHEW DALY

Associated Press Writers

Guinness finds Minn. man is tallest in US

119 Courthouse Square Oxford, Mississippi 1-800-797-8293

142ND Year, No. 169 — 50 CENTS

Run-off solution sought E-Edition booming

INSIDE

ROCHESTER, Minn. (AP) — Guinness World Records has recognized a Minnesota man as the tallest man in the United States.

The Guinness World Record Association measured Rochester’s Igor Vovkovinskiy (voh-kov-IN’-ski) at 7 feet, 8.33 inches tall during NBC’s “The Dr. Oz Show” on Monday. He edged out Norfolk, Va., sheriff’s deputy George Bell by a third of an inch.

The 27-year- old Vovkovinskiy is originally from Ukraine but moved to Minnesota with his mother when he was 7 years old for treatment at the Mayo Clinic for a pituitary disease that spurred his rapid growth.

Vovkovinskiy now attends the Minnesota School of Business and is pursuing a degree in paralegal studies.

Guinness says the world’s urkey’s Sultan tallest man is Turkey’s Kosen. He measures in at 8 feet, 1 inch tall.

also owned the Deepwater Horizon oil rig.

The other three areas of focus for the investigation involve the cementing and casing of the wellhead, which was Halliburton Inc.’s responsibility.

COVINGTON, La. — Oil giant BP said its internal investigation of Assessing decisions the unchecked Gulf oil spill In BP’s release, Chief is largely focused on work Executive Tony Hayward done by other companies as stopped short of assigning a new government report responsibility. President today showed workers at the Barack Obama has blasted federal agency that oversees executives from the compaoffshore drilling accepted nies for blaming each other sports tickets, lunches and during Congressional hearother gifts from oil and gas ings this month. companies.

“A number of companies BP PLC said in a release are involved, including BP, that an initial investigation and it is simfound mulply too early tiple control “...it is simply — and not mechanisms too early — and not up to us — should have to say who p r e v e n t e d up to us — to say who is at fault,” the accident is at fault.”

Hayward that started said. with an oil — TONY HAYWARD G e n e rig explosion Chief Executive, BP Beck, a April 20 off petroleum the coast engineer of Louisiana that killed 11 at Texas A&M at College workers.

Station who worked in the Seeking the cause drilling industry for two BP, the largest oil and decades, said the list of gas producer in the Gulf, Gulf problems BP is investigating listed seven areas of focus appears exhaustive. But he as it hunts for a cause. Four said the company also needs involve the blowout pre- to look at decisions made by venter, venter a massive piece of people on the rig. machinery that sits atop the “That needs to be inveswellhead and should have tigated: Why did they do acted as a safety device what they did?” Beck said. of last resort but did not.

“They need to ask themThat was manufactured selves that very very, very serious

by Cameron International question: ‘Why did we make Corp. and owned by these choices?”’

Transocean LTD, which

PATRICK SEMANSKY/AP

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar (center) speaks at a press conference in Galliano, La., Monday. Standing behind Salazar are Sen. David Vitter, R-La., and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.

Meanwhile, a new Interior Department report released today found that staffers in the Louisiana office of the Minerals Management Service violated a number of federal regulations and agency ethics rules, including accepting gifts from oil and gas companies and using government computers to view pornography. pornography The report by the department’s acting inspector general follows up on a 2007 investigation that revealed what then-Inspector General Earl Devaney called a “culture of ethical failure” and conflicts of interest at the minerals agency. agency

Staff Writer

Worst-case scenario

tion Belo w 9,000)

Subscribe to the E-Edit io n Only $5 p er month

BY MELANIE ADDINGTON

Members of the Oxford School Board set a public hearing for June 14 at 5 p.m. for the public to discuss the district’s 2010-2011 budget.

Despite continued budget cuts from the state during the past several months, the Oxford School District has put together a budget for the coming school year that ensures no jobs will be cut.

The school board has a proposed $29 million budget that, while not yet finalized, won’t cut jobs and won’t raise the tax rate.

On Monday, Gov. Haley Barbour signed the FY 2011 education funding bills, House Bill 1622 and House Bill 1059, Mississippi Department of Education Superintendent Tom Burnham said.

“HB 1622 is the primary funding bill that we recommend (districts) develop the FY 2011 budget around,” Burnham said. “HB 1059 is contingent upon the passage of federal legislation that would extend the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage provided for in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.”

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar called the latest report “deeply disturbing” but stressed that it only covered a period from 2000 to 2008. He said he wants the investigation expanded to include agency actions since he took office in January 2009.

BP filed its site-specific exploration plan for the Deepwater Horizon in February 2009.

The Obama administration has come under increasing pressure as frustrations build, oil washes up in delicate Louisiana wetlands, and efforts to cap the well prove unsuccessful.

City school officials are basing their budget on the funding equation that provides Oxford the lowest amount of state funds.

The board will not request any increase to the city’s tax rate, but the district still expects to experience an increase in revenue collections due to the additional taxes it projects to increase from new homes.

Revenue is expected to be up about $420,000 from 2009-2010 for a total of $29.5 million. Mississippi Adequate Education Program funding is slightly down to $12.54 million from $12.56 million the year before. Ad valorem tax collections will go up from $14.1 million to $15.4 million. With athletic admission tickets expected to be down about $10,000, the district may have to dip deeper into its reserve funds.

After the hearing, the board will vote on the budget.

In other business, the school board: — Approved salary scales for employees, teacher assistants and administrators.

— Approved a resolution in memory of the late Patricia P Aschoff SPED teacher at Aschoff, Oxford Learning Center.

Marcia Cole accepted the plaque and resolution on family behalf of the family.

—melanie@oxfordeagle.com —melanie@oxfor

www.oxfordeagle.com 662-234-2222

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News alumni

Mississippi Food in Print

NEWSPAPER PUBLISHER LAUNCHES NEW MAGAZINE

E

at. Drink. Mississippi, published by Ole Miss Alumni Association life member J.J. Carney, highlights food culture and hospitality across the state. The magazine was launched in December 2011, when Carney, associate editor of the Lawrence County Press, decided to combine her publishing expertise with her love of food and cooking. With the help of her husband, John Carney (BSJ 86), executive editor of the publication and publisher of the Lawrence County Press, she forages the state to bring readers the best Mississippi has to offer in the culinary arena. Eat. Drink. Mississippi is based in Monticello and published by Carney Publications.

As a publication solely focused on showcasing, promoting and celebrating the food and hospitality that Mississippi is famous for, Carney hopes the magazine will not only encourage more people to visit local restaurants but also inspire today’s cooks to preserve and impart the passion of Southern food and cooking styles to future generations.

Each issue of the bimonthly publication features news on restaurants from Northern Mississippi, the Delta and the Capital/River Region of Central Mississippi to the Pine Belt and the Gulf Coast. Other sections include features on Mississippians making their way in the culinary world both here and abroad, information on local food banks and pantries, spotlights on Mississippi-manufactured food products and reviews of Mississippi-authored cookbooks.

Eat. Drink. Mississippi is available by subscription or for purchase at Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million and at numerous consignment vendors. AR

64 Alumni Review

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The University of Mississippi Alumni Association P.O. Box 1848 University, MS 38677-1848 (662) 915-7375 www.olemissalumni.com

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