Items included in the “University News” section of the System Review are submitted each week by the universities. The news items are listed in rotating alphabetical order by university.

ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
  Alcorn State University Online
www.alcorn.edu

DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
Delta State Athletic Director Resigns to Accept UCA Post
Dr. Brad Teague was formally introduced as the new athletic director at Division I-AA University of Central Arkansas at a press conference in Conway, Arkansas, on Wednesday, January 24. Teague resigned from his post as Delta State University athletic director to accept UCA President Lu Hardin’s offer on Tuesday, January 23. “We are obviously disappointed to be losing Dr. Teague,” Delta State President, Dr. John Hilpert said. “He has led the Delta State athletic department with character and integrity, and the success Delta State athletics has enjoyed over the past four years is evidence of his leadership.” Teague is scheduled to begin work in Arkansas on March 1. Delta State, through its Office of University Relations, will release details of its intended search process later this week. Learn more.

Delta State AD Search to be National; Mayers Appointed Interim

'Suit yourself,’ Delta State Career Services Launches Innovative Program

  Delta State to Host Mississippi Delta Women’s Leadership Conference

JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
JSU STEM Students to Present Research at Symposium
Three Jackson State University students will present their research at the Alliance for Graduate Education in Mississippi (AGEM) Winter Scholar Symposium this week. James Kelley, an undergraduate student; Wayne C. Walls Jr., a master’s level student in public health; and Donetta McCullum, a doctoral student in environmental science, will make presentations in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM. Nearly 400 students, scientists, and professionals in STEM fields will attend the annual event, scheduled for January 25-27 at the University of Mississippi in Oxford. Preston D. Robinson III, JSU’s interim AGEM site coordinator, said Jackson State has been No. 1 in presenting at conferences throughout the state and nation. Learn more.

JSU’S MURC to Host Town Hall Meeting on Black HIV/AIDS

JSU College of Public Service Eisenhower Fellows to Present Transportation Research

MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
MSU Senior 'Super' Bowling Green
Mississippi State University senior Chris Fondren will take pleasure getting his hands dirty in Miami between January 28 and February 5. Instead of building sand castles, the turf grass management major from Old Hickory, Tennessee, will work with the National Football League grounds crew at Dolphin Stadium. Fondren will work with professionals to prepare the game field and practice facilities for Super Bowl LXI on February 5. Fondren earned this chance of a lifetime by winning the national Toro Super Bowl Sports Turf Training Scholarship. For the fifth year, the Minnesota-based international turf company collaborated with the Super Bowl grounds team to provide a highly specialized training opportunity for an “emerging sports turf professional.” Along with offering an intense learning experience associated with professional football’s most important day, the Toro scholarship program covers all travel expenses for Fondren. The scholarship process required Fondren to write a 500-word essay outlining his immediate career goals. “The person I am today was molded between the lines of the athletic field,” Fondren wrote. “Sports have created a life for me and I would like to provide a quality playing surface for others to pursue their dreams.” Learn more.

MSU Staff Member Provides ‘Special’ Touch for Old Computers

MSU Names First Endowed Professor in Animal Ethics, Welfare

MSU Gets Boost to Improve State Career and Technical Education

National MSU Alumni Leaders to Gather at Annual Conference

MISSISSIPPI UNIVERSITY FOR WOMEN NEWS
Sumners Visits China as Part of People to People Ambassador Program
Sarah Sumners recently returned from China as part of the People to People Ambassador Program. Sumners, project manager for the CHAMPS II Mathematics and Science Partnership Grant at the Roger F. Wicker Center for Creative Learning, was nominated to attend by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. She made the journey as a delegate of the 2006 US-China Joint Education Conference, part of the People to People Ambassador Programs' Mathematics Education Delegation. The motto of the organization, “peace through understanding,” is promoted by providing foreign educational travel experiences for professionals through meetings, seminars and cultural activities. Sumners was among 25 elementary, middle school, high school, and university mathematics educators from across the United States who participated in the program. Topics included “Challenges of the Chinese Education System,” “Changes in the Chinese Mathematics Curriculum,” and “Teacher Preparation and Professional Development in China.” This year is the 50th anniversary of People to People International, started by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Since its founding in 1956, People to People has developed high level professional exchanges to encourage dialogue with counterparts in other nations. Learn more.

MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
MVSU Hosts 2007 Mississippi Philological Association Annual Conference
The 2007 Mississippi Philological Association annual conference will be held on January 26-27 at Mississippi Valley State University. The keynote speaker will be Tayari Jones, an acclaimed writer and the Jenny McKean Moore Writer-in-Residence at George Washington University. Her first novel, Leaving Atlanta, won the 2003 Hurston/Wright Award for debut fiction and was selected as one of the best books of the year by The Washington Post. Her second novel, The Untelling, was awarded the Lillian C. Smith Award for New Voices. Jones’ work has been published in The New York Times, The Believer, and New Stories from the South. “We anticipate an exciting MPA conference and welcome faculty, students, writers, and anyone who is interested in academic growth to the conference,” said Dr. John Zheng, MVSU Chair of the English and Foreign Languages Department. Zheng also serves as the MPA President. The Mississippi Philological Association is one of the few academic organizations that openly promote scholarly and creative work that any faculty member or student may submit and present simply by doing so. This open policy inspires ideas and writing. The association has a first-rate publication, POMPA, that ranks with any in the country. For more information, contact Dr. Zheng at (662) 254-3453.

UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI NEWS
World Space Agency Needed, Say Space Law Experts at UM Round Table
Though current space law policy does not support the establishment of a world space agency or similar organization, some international space law experts meeting at the University of Mississippi say it's just a matter of time before such an agency becomes a reality. "I don't think the world has any choice," said Ram Jakhu, associate professor with the Institute of Air and Space Law at McGill University Law School in Montreal, Canada. An international space law regulatory body was one of many topics addressed during the round-table discussion, sponsored by UM's National Center for Remote Sensing, Air and Space Law and focused on "Space Law in The Era of Globalization." Nearly two dozen space law leaders and policymakers journeyed to Oxford from across the globe to participate in the round-table discussion, which was webcast live on the center's Web site. Discussions also touched on the efficacy of the current treaty regime, the U.S. national space policy, newly emerging space-faring nations, legal aspects of the Space Exploration Initiative, space tourism, peaceful uses of outer space, and policies governing access to earth observation data. Learn more.

Alcohol Task Force Recommends Stricter Enforcement, Making 'Two-Strike Rule' Permanent

Multimedia News Release Format Launched for Blues Today Symposium

New English Chair Proposes More Diversity in Literature, Changes in Writing Program

Electrical Engineering Professor Named IEEE Fellow

UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CENTER NEWS
Former AMA President Touts Education to Combat Ethical “Disgrace”
The approximately 47 million Americans currently living without health care insurance present not just an economic or health care challenge, but an ethical one. This "national disgrace" may not have an easy resolution, according to Dr. Ed Hill, immediate past president of the American Medical Association (AMA), but the fundamental answer begins with a comprehensive health education program in the nation’s schools. Learn more.

Shotgun Blasts, Music Concerts May Lead to High-Frequency Hearing Loss

Nightingale Award Nominations Honor UMC Nurses for Exceptional Service

Communication, Reflection, Empathy Key to Addressing Cultural Competency

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI NEWS
Southern Miss Appoints Interim Dean for College of Arts and Letters
The University of Southern Mississippi President Shelby F. Thames announced the appointment of Dr. Denise K. von Herrmann as interim dean of the College of Arts and Letters effective January 22. She fills the vacancy left by the death of Dr. Elliott Pood.  Dr. Pood died Wednesday, January 17 at the age of 56. Most recently, von Herrmann served as department chair for Political Science, International Development and Affairs. Prior to this recent appointment, she was associate dean for academic affairs in the College of Arts and Letters from January 2004 to April 2006. She also served as interim dean of the Gulf Coast from May to October 2003 when she directed all academic operations of the Gulf Park campus in Long Beach. “We know we have a superb leader in Dr. von Herrmann,” said Dr. Thames. “She is an exceptional administrator with the talents and expertise needed for this position. Dr. von Herrmann is a well-known expert for her research dealing with the politics and impacts of gambling. She is the author of two books on the subject. She also has authored several journal articles and made presentations to a variety of professional organizations on this and other political issues. Learn more.

Psychology Professors Receive Grant to Study Anger Management

Marine Education Center Names Docent Coordinator

DeSimone Shares Insights on Transferring Research Discoveries to the Marketplace

Jan. 16 - Feb. 9 - The Mississippi University for Women Art Gallery presents "Jeffrey Haupt: Recent Paintings." The gallery, located in Shattuck Hall, is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information on the exhibit or to arrange visiting times, contact the Department of Art and Design at (662) 329-7341 or email gallery director Alex Stelioes-Wills.

Jan. 22 - Mar. 10 - Delta State University’s Capps Archive & Museum currently has on display “History and Heritage of the Mississippi Delta Chinese.” A Delta bus trip is scheduled to How Joy’s in Greenville for the Chinese New Year, February 20. For more information, please call Emily Weaver at (662) 846-4780.

Jan. 26 - 28 - Mississippi University for Women will host its annual Hearin High School Leadership Conference on campus. Participants will enhance their leadership skills, work with other high school students, be mentored by MUW students, and have the opportunity to interview for the MUW Hearin Leadership Scholarship, which can be up to $10,000 over four years. Students selected for the Hearin Leadership Program at MUW become leaders across campus. Learn more.

Jan. 27 - Mississippi State University will showcase its Honor Band Concert in Lee Hall. Learn more.

Jan. 29 - The University of Mississippi hosts renowned biologist Edward O. Wilson at 7:30 p.m. in the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts. The free public lecture by the Harvard entomologist is for the spring convocation of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College. Learn more.

Feb. 1 - Mississippi State University’s Mitchell Memorial Library will hold a workshop for graduate students and anyone else interested in managing their citations for a thesis or a dissertation. Learn more.

Feb. 1 - The University of Mississippi presents award-winning dancer, choreographer, and critic Gus Solomons jr as the Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar. The lecture is set for 7 p.m. in Bondurant Auditorium. Learn more.

Feb. 1 - The University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra will feature three winners of the William T. Gower Awards Competition in concert at 7:30 p.m. in Bennett Auditorium. The 2006-07 winners and “Future Stars” include Isabel Escalante, violin, of Valencia, Venezuela; Daland Cranston Jones, vocalist, of Ripley; and Amanda Virelles, piano, of Havana, Cuba. Learn more.

Feb. 3 - Jackson State University's College of Business will host the Emerging Leaders Leadership Conference from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call (601) 979-6940. Learn more.

Feb. 6 - The Delta State University Alumni Association will be hosting an alumni gathering in Nashville, Tennessee, at the Market Street Brewery at 7 p.m. For more information, please contact the DSU Alumni Association at (662) 846-4679. Learn more.

Feb. 6 - The University of Mississippi will host author and editor David Baker, who will read from his latest book at 7 p.m. in the rehearsal hall of the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts. The free program is sponsored by the John and Renee Grisham Visiting Writer's program. Learn more.

Feb. 15 - Jackson State University and OPERA/SOUTH will honor African-American contributions to classical music, drama, and dance, at 6 p.m. in F.D. Hall Music Center. For more information, call (601) 979-2700. Learn more.

Feb. 17 - The University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Dentistry’s fourth annual McAlister’s Rush to Brush 5K Race is scheduled for 9 a.m., starting at the Norman C. Nelson Student Union and continuing through the UMC campus. The race benefits the Pediatric and Special Needs Dentistry Unit at the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children. View the registration form for more information.