Kudos – Summer 2017

Lucky Seven

Seven University of Mississippi freshmen have been inducted into the Alpha Phi chapter of Omicron Delta Kappa, a prestigious national leadership honor society. The annual ODK Freshman Leadership Awards, which identify outstanding freshman leaders and community servants, were presented at the organization’s annual induction ceremony. Previous recipients have gone on to serve in roles such as Associated Student Body president and to be inducted into the university’s student Hall of Fame.

Critical Language Scholarships

Six University of Mississippi undergraduate students have won prestigious national scholarships to study foreign languages considered critical to U.S. economic, diplomatic and security interests. The Critical Language Scholarships are given annually by the U.S. Department of State. They are competitive, with undergraduate, master’s, Ph.D. and M.D. students vying for the funds. Recipients of the awards also include students from Columbia, Georgetown and Harvard universities and the universities of Chicago and California at Berkeley.

Take Their Courses

The College of Liberal Arts at the University of Mississippi recognized three faculty members May 13 for their excellence in teaching. The Liberal Arts Outstanding Teacher of the Year award went to Matt Long, associate professor of art. Steven Davis, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, was given the Cora Lee Graham Award for Outstanding Teaching of Freshmen. The Liberal Arts Outstanding Instructor of the Year honor was presented to Carey Bernini Dowling, instructional assistant professor of psychology.

PR Domination

University of Mississippi public relations students have won every award presented in the Public Relations Association of Mississippi student competition, and one student was named the best public relations college student in the state. Rachel Anderson, a journalism and Spanish major from Chesapeake, Virginia, was named PRAM’s 2017 Student of the Year, competing against nominees from five other universities in the state.

Journalism Students Rule Regionals

University of Mississippi journalism students working in newspaper, television and radio won more than 50 awards in three separate regional contests this spring. The Daily Mississippian was named best daily newspaper in the Society of Professional Journalists Region 12, competing against college newspapers at the largest universities in Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee and Louisiana. NewsWatch Ole Miss won first place for best newscast.

Boren Scholars

Two accomplished seniors in the University of Mississippi’s Chinese Language Flagship Program have become the university’s 18th and 19th recipients of prestigious David L. Boren Scholarships for study abroad. Madeleine Achgill of Indianapolis, Indiana, and James DeMarshall of Glassboro, New Jersey, both will study Mandarin Chinese this fall at Nanjing University in China. Next spring, each student will intern within a Chinese Tier 1 city. The award covers up to $10,000 per semester to help cover costs.

Exceptional Service to Students

Following glowing letters of recommendation from students, fellow faculty members and parents, three University of Mississippi employees have been chosen to receive prestigious honors for their exceptional service. The Thomas Frist Student Service Awards are presented annually to Ole Miss faculty and staff members who have “gone the extra mile” in unwavering dedication and service to students. Two faculty recipients share this year’s honor: Donald Dyer, associate dean for faculty and academic affairs in the College of Liberal Arts and professor of Russian and linguistics, and Robert Brown, professor of political science. Whitman Smith, director of admissions, is the staff award recipient.

Promising Startup

An online enterprise that helps University of Mississippi students find tutors for their college studies took first place in the 12th annual Gillespie Business Plan Competition, hosted by the UM Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Lee Ingram, a master’s candidate in accountancy from Madison, wowed judges with his presentation for Collegiate Tutoring, a tutoring matchmaking service he started in 2014. Its largest clients are two Greek organizations, and the service has assisted more than 200 students, bringing in revenues of more than $50,000 to date.