CHANCELLOR’S 3 THINGS TO KNOW
We just completed an incredible academic year marked by unbridled enthusiasm and unprecedented triumphs. Our students produced outstanding academic achievements, including three Goldwater scholars, two Truman scholars, six Fulbright recipients, three NSF Graduate Research Fellows, one Boren Scholar, and one Rangel Scholar. Our athletics teams delivered tremendous victories, and our campus experienced exciting developments. And, there’s plenty more to come in this month’s Special Section highlighting what’s going on in Oxford this summer and opportunities to connect with the Ole Miss community.
Here are three things to know right now:
- GRAND GRADUATION: More than 5,000 Class of 2022 graduates received their diplomas in the university’s 169th Commencement during the first week of May. Convocation returned to the Grove for the first time since 2018 on a crisp, clear Saturday morning. Bradford Cobb (BA 96), manager to some of America’s most successful pop music artists, inspired the graduates by encouraging them to “dream as big as you want.” As they strive to build legacies of purpose and success, Bradford urged our graduates to pursue opportunities with courage. In addition to thousands of guests on our campus, our livestream drew more than 49,000 viewers from 67 countries to mark a glorious celebration at the University of Mississippi! Check out our Journey to Commencement series that showcases the stories of a few of this year’s graduates, including Jasmine Meredith, the oldest granddaughter of James Meredith, the civil rights activist who integrated the university in 1962. Jasmine makes the third-generation Meredith to earn a degree from the University of Mississippi. Congratulations to all of our new graduates — and remember, we’ll always welcome you home!
- STELLAR STAFF: Our university is blessed with an amazing staff, and I want to express my deep gratitude to them for supporting our students in so many extraordinary ways. They make our university a special place where people want to learn, live, and work, and we are committed to promoting a fulfilling work-life environment for them. As part of that commitment, the university will establish a new Early Learning and Evaluation Center at the South Oxford Center, including a new home for our Willie Price Lab School. In addition, we are supporting and encouraging staff members’ creativity with a new residency program. Finally, I’m especially proud of our many staff members who continue their education while working for the university, including the 23 colleagues who we recognized at this year’s Red & Blue celebration for earning degrees while working. To our amazing staff: Thank you for all you do to help us succeed and excel in all facets of our institution. I hope you will take time to enjoy the Staff Appreciation Week activities!
- VISIONARY INVESTMENTS: Even in the summer, the focus on the future at Ole Miss never stops. I’m pleased to share a number of significant investments happening across campus that will make Ole Miss better and stronger than ever. For the second consecutive year, the university will provide salary and wage increases. We are also allocating funds to increase graduate students’ stipends. And, we are making additional investments in student success efforts, enrollment management, research and sponsored programs and a complete transformation of the olemiss.edu website.
As we approach Memorial Day, I hope you will reflect on the importance and purpose of this annual day of remembrance. We honor the deeply courageous American women and men who have made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedoms and our country. We are grateful and inspired by their bravery, selflessness, and love of country. I hope you have a safe and memorable Memorial Day and give thanks for the blessings we share in calling Ole Miss and the United States home.
The @The Flagship newsletter will take a brief summer hiatus in June, but will be back in July. Until then, take care!
Glenn F. Boyce
Chancellor
FLAGSHIP FACTS
TOP STORIES
AIMING BIG
Three Ole Miss students received prestigious National Science Foundation fellowships through the foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program. The highly competitive program attracts about 14,000 applicants for 2,000 awards.
HISTORIC SWEEP
While hosting the 2022 SEC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, the university staged a historic sweep in the 1500-meter races by Ole Miss All-Americans Mario Garcia Romo and Sintayehu Vissa, who obliterated her previous school record by nearly eight seconds to post the best time in the NCAA this season at 4:08.72 and win the first-ever women’s 1500-meter title in Ole Miss history.
IN HOUSE EXPERTISE
The School of Dentistry at the University of Mississippi Medical Center houses specialists found nowhere else in the state who are using a dental cone beam CT to help patients with dental and nerve-related issues.
RISING STAR
Davita Watkins, an associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Mississippi, has been awarded a 2022 Rising Star Award by the American Chemical Society‘s Women Chemists Committee. Watkins is among nine women scientists honored with the award this year which recognizes exceptional early to midcareer women chemists across all areas of chemistry on a national level.
Special Section: Summer Snapshot
Despite the heat and humidity of a Mississippi summer, it’s time to share each other’s company, enjoy what life has to offer, and enrich our lives. Here’s what is on tap in Oxford and beyond.
Rebel Road Trip: The BancorpSouth Rebel Road Trip continues its run with visits to Jackson, Pascagoula, Tupelo, and Corinth. See Rebel coaches and university leaders, and meet with fellow fans for refreshments, merchandise, and more.
Mississippi Goes to Washington (June 11): Celebrate Mississippi culture and enjoy catfish, sweet tea, and fellowship at Mississippi on the Mall in Washington, D.C.
Learning Landscape (May 27-28): The City of Oxford will host its fifth annual award-winning Landscaping Camp, including a tour with Jeff McManus, the university’s director of landscape services for more than 20 years.
Camp Adventures: The UM Office of Pre-College Programs offers a host of camps for school-aged children focused on robotics, creative writing, video games, culinary arts, and more.
Cool Summer School: The UM Summer Language Institute is an opportunity for high school students to study critical languages (Arabic and Chinese) while living on campus.
Time to Play: Ole Miss Athletics offers a full range of camps and clinics for adults and children. From football to baseball to rifle to cheer, opportunities are available for all interests and ages, including a father-son basketball camp.
Faulkner Conference (July 17-21): The university will host its 48th annual Faulkner and Yoknapatawpha Conference. The conference attracts national and international visitors and scholars to Faulkner’s “postage stamp of native soil.”
Grooving in the Grove: The Summer Sunset Series will offer live music performances on the Grove Stage in June, featuring a YAC and Thacker Mountain Radio anniversary show with musical guest Madrik (June 5), the Billy Perry Quintet (June 12), Alice Hasen and the Blaze (June 19), and Aaron Hall (June 26). Music begins at 6 p.m. Music lovers are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, food, and beverages.
