Articles in "Science and Technology"

A University of Southern Mississippi alumnus has been picked to lead its Department of Geography and Geology as chairman.

Dr. Mark Puckett, who earned undergraduate degrees in biology and geology from USM in 1983, returns to Southern Miss from the University of North Alabama where he was a professor of geology and director of its Center for Sustainability Studies.

Louise Berryhill of Decatur, Miss., and Maggie Dickerson of Florence, Miss., juniors at the University of Southern Mississippi, along with Brian Long from Hattiesburg, Miss., a senior, were recently selected to participate in the undergraduate portion of the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program (MRPSP).

The legacy of James “Jim” S. Franks, senior research scientist at The University of Southern Mississippi, was featured Saturday, June 18 as guests gathered at the Point Cadet Marina in Biloxi to celebrate the commissioning of the University’s newest research vessel.

The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) has taken transformative steps to fortify its reputation as the leader in marine education and research along the Gulf of Mexico with the formation of a new School of Ocean Science and Technology (SOST).

The new school, housed within the College of Science and Technology, brings together marine-related research and education programs under one administration and harnesses elements from key areas of the University including the Division of Marine Science (DMS) based at the John C. Stennis Space Center in Hancock County; the USM Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL) and Division of Coastal Sciences in Ocean Springs, Miss; and the University’s fleet of five research vessels.

Dr. Gordon Cannon, Vice President for Research at The University of Southern Mississippi, has announced the awarding of nine Proposal Development Grants for 2016.

Andre Heath, assistant to the dean for strategic initiatives for the College of Science and Technology, has been recognized as The University of Southern Mississippi Office of Student Activities’ Student Organization Advisor of the Year.

As part of an ongoing commitment to student success, The University of Southern Mississippi has realigned key service programs under one broad umbrella to create a comprehensive retention initiative for students from the time they enroll until graduation.

The changes include moving the Student Support Services Program (SSSP) under the Office of New Student and Retention Programs (NSRP), which was established last August to increase retention and graduation rates for new and continuing students. The popular Think Center – designed to help students build solution-oriented thinking skills – has also moved under NSRP.

University of Southern Mississippi Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Steven R. Moser has announced the appointment of Dr. Casey Malone Maugh Funderburk as Associate Provost for the Gulf Park Campus, effective May 10.  Maugh Funderburk’s appointment is pending IHL Board approval.

Dr. Lisa Nored, professor and director of the University of Southern Mississippi’s School of Criminal Justice, was recently honored by the Mississippi College School of Law with its Lawyer of the Year award at the school’s annual alumni dinner.  

Dr. Scott Commins, associate professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina Allergy & Immunology Clinic, will be the featured speaker as part of a seminar series hosted by the Department of Biological Sciences at The University of Southern Mississippi on Friday, April 29.

University of Southern Mississippi graduate students Jeremy Johnson and Grover Brown are following in a lengthy line of successful scholarship winners at the University as recipients of 2016 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships.

The fellowships cover three years of funding. Students receive a $34,000 stipend every year as well as a $12,000 cost of attendance allowance tenable at any university in the country. NSF Graduate Research Fellows are selected on the basis of their academic merit as well as their potential for broader impact on the greater scientific community and society as a whole.

The University of Southern Mississippi Department of Marine Science (DMS) has announced its annual Wiesenburg lecturer as Dr. John Hughes Clarke, a professor with a joint appointment in mechanical engineering and Earth sciences at the University of New Hampshire.

The public is invited to enjoy a free lecture by Clarke titled “What Drives Deep Sea Channel Systems” at 11 a.m. April 20 in the StennisSphere Auditorium at the John C. Stennis Space Center.