Chancellor's Blog

Greetings students, faculty, and staff,

Happy New Year!  And welcome back to campus for the start of another semester of accomplishment at Ole Miss.  Even after 37-plus years in higher education, my favorite time is always the day the full student body returns to campus.  For me, the first day of class brings with it undeniable energy and buzz.  And the rest of the semester seems to fly by.  But before we get down to the business of finishing out this academic year, I want to take a moment to reflect upon our recent achievements, because those achievements are the foundation for so much of what we will accomplish going forward.Read More

If you recall, fall 2016 was the first time the University of Mississippi had ever hosted a university-wide Town Hall.  Going in, we didn’t really know what to expect, so we were ecstatic about the resounding success of the event.  As we began planning this year’s Town Hall for October 11, the bar had been set pretty high, so there was a little uncertainty that we could repeat it.  But once again, our campus community did not disappoint, turning out with tremendous energy, ideas, and inspiration!Read More

As chancellor, I am committed to the University of Mississippi becoming a national leader in STEM education and building upon our status as the state’s Carnegie R-1 highest research activity university. We are well along the path of this ambitious journey by collaborating with government and industry leaders around our strengths, by educating and developing students into exceptional employees and leaders for the tech sector, and by stimulating world-class research that drives innovation. We are doing all of these things and so much more.Read More

Whew! This time of year always feels like a race to the finish: We shot out of the starting gate last August and just crossed the chequered flag in May with our commencement ceremonies. But, we did it — we’ve completed another awesome academic year!

What an exciting time as we celebrated 5,022 graduates on the University of Mississippi Oxford campus and 971 graduates at the UM Medical Center. For the second year, I couldn’t resist capturing the commencement moment and the incredible view of the Grove before me via a panoramic photo:

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As tens of thousands celebrate the 22^nd Annual Double Decker Festival this weekend, I thought it would be a great time to share some thoughts about the importance of arts and culture to our university community.  Anyone who has visited Ole Miss and Oxford — even just one time — knows that the cultural life of our university and town are second to none.  It is no mistake that Visit Oxford touts our description as the “Cultural Mecca of the South.”  As Sharon reminds me, the arts keep everything vibrant and relevant, and members of the Ole Miss and Oxford communities have immense opportunities to take advantage of the arts that are so conveniently located.

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I relish my role as the voice of the university.  Since arriving at Ole Miss, I have made it a priority to expand communication and connectivity via personal visits, town halls, informational blogs, and robust use of social media.  One of the great benefits of doing so is that not only do you get to hear more from me, but in addition I get to hear from you — faculty, staff, alumni, and students.  Especially students.

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