Wed,
12/22/2021 – 09:43am | By: Van Arnold
From innovative research partnerships to significant student achievements, the year
2021 proved to be dynamic and memorable at The University of Southern Mississippi
(USM).
Paring the list of noteworthy accomplishments to a concise list is difficult at best.
Listed below are some of the more distinguished highlights from the past year.
Research activity
- The Air Force Research Lab awarded a $6.3 million contract to USM and Florida State
University to study multifunctional composites to meet the aerospace application needs
of the U.S. Air Force and Department of Defense. The grant period is two years, and
the funding will be split equally between the two universities. Researchers from the
School of Polymer Science and Engineering at USM will partner with the High-Performance
Materials Institute associated with the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering , the joint
engineering educational and research institution for Florida A&M and Florida State
universities, to study, design, and test large lightweight sample panels capable of
scale-up manufacturing to provide multifunctional performance for aerospace applications.
https://www.usm.edu/news/2021/release/air-force-research-lab-award.php - Imagine a cellphone so soft, so pliable that you can fold it like a man’s wallet.
Inside the laboratory of polymer science Professor Xiaodan Gu, a research team is
working diligently to make the unthinkable possible. Gu, an assistant professor at
The University of Southern Mississippi (USM), received a $593,505 National Science
Foundation CAREER Awardee grant to help further his research. The five-year award
from the NSF Division of Material Research Polymers Program will fund Gu’s proposal:
“Thermomechanical Property Control of Confined Conjugated Polymeric Thin Films.” https://www.usm.edu/news/2021/release/nsf-grant-plastic-electronics.php
Student success
- Three USM undergraduate students were recognized for their research efforts as recipients
for the prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. USM is the only Mississippi college
or university to have three Goldwater Scholars this year. This year’s recipients bring
the total number of USM Goldwater Scholarship recipients to a state-leading total
of 27. This marks the second time in three years, USM has produced three honorees.
https://www.usm.edu/news/2021/release/goldwater-scholarship-winners.php - The School of Ocean Science and Engineering recorded a historic milestone earlier
this month as the first students from the University’s ocean engineering program received
their undergraduate degrees. Sydni N. Crain, from Poplarville, Miss., and Andrew P.
Smith, from Madison, Miss., became the first students to complete the rigorous program,
which was launched in the fall of 2017. USM’s School of Ocean Science and Engineering
offers the only bachelor’s degree in ocean engineering degree in the State of Mississippi
and one of only 10 such programs in the nation.https://www.usm.edu/news/2021/release/ocean-engineering-graduates.php
Teacher residency program
- The Mississippi Department of Education will provide over $2 million to USM over a
two-year period to support Mississippi Teacher Residency in critical shortage areas.
USM has been awarded the largest grant in the $9.8 million program that will cover
tuition and expenses at five Mississippi universities for up to 240 individuals seeking
a graduate degree in elementary and secondary education. https://www.usm.edu/news/2021/release/mde-award.php
Campus upgrades
- From a pedestrian pathway to additional parking, USM launched a series of construction
projects earlier this summer that will provide even greater accessibility and mobility
to its Hattiesburg campus. Dr. Chris Crenshaw, senior vice president for facilities
planning and management, stressed that the projects are part of a long-term bike and
pedestrian master plan developed by a USM committee in conjunction with outside engineers.
https://www.usm.edu/news/2021/release/construction-accessibility.php - Getting around the USM Gulf Park campus in Long Beach has gotten much easier, thanks
to funding from the Mississippi Department of Transportation’s Transportation Alternatives
Program. The University’s Physical Plant has been updating the sidewalks and other
outdoor areas across campus for several months, which includes wider sidewalks, walkways
that are Americans with Disabilities Act accessible, directional signage, and new
lighting. Future work will include a dedicated viewing area for the famed Friendship
Oak. https://www.usm.edu/news/2021/release/gulf-park-upgrades-pathways.php
Economy and workplace
- USM’s annual economic impact on the state of Mississippi has increased to more than
$663 million, representing a 10 percent increase since the previous study in 2016.
The study, conducted by subject matter experts from the Trent Lott National Center
for Excellence in Economic Development and Entrepreneurship and independently verified
by IMPLAN Inc., shows that the University’s annual economic impact has grown — a previous
study found the University’s annual impact to be $603 million. https://www.usm.edu/news/2021/release/usm-annual-economic-impact-increases.php - USM has been rated as the sixth-best employer in Mississippi and No. 1 statewide in
the education industry in recent rankings released by Forbes magazine. In its annual
“America’s Best Employers By State,” Forbes seeks to demonstrate how perceptions of
companies differ from state-to-state based on local leadership and economies. https://www.usm.edu/news/2021/release/best-work-place-in-education.php
Best for Vets Ranking
- A relentless drive to provide the best support and services to military-students vaulted
USM to an impressive No. 3 national ranking by the prestigious resource guide Military Times. USM is also rated No. 1 in the Southeast by Military Times in its “Best for Vets: Colleges 2021 Rankings.” The newest position represents a
significant leap for USM, which held a No. 9 national ranking the past two years.
https://www.usm.edu/news/2021/release/veterans-program-ranking.php
Gulf Blue, infrastructure
- Earlier this summer USM, in conjunction with partner organizations across the Mississippi
Gulf Coast, announced an initiative to place Mississippi on the global stage for blue
economy-related work. This initiative – Gulf Blue – is poised to bring “Big Ideas
Out of the Blue” capitalizing on the region’s geography and maritime resources and
positioning the Mississippi Gulf Coast to lead the development of world-changing innovation.
Gulf Blue pools the knowledge of research scientists, federal agencies, industry partners and
entrepreneurs to further develop the region as a global leader in ocean- and maritime-related
technologies. https://www.usm.edu/news/2021/release/gulf-blue-initiative.php - The University was awarded $7 million in state funding to support infrastructure associated
with the Roger F. Wicker Center for Ocean Enterprise (RFWCOE). This appropriated money
from both capital expense funds and the Mississippi Development Authority’s Gulf Coast
Restoration Fund, brings the total to $21 million in appropriated monies to USM since
2019 for RFWCOE, infrastructure, and programming. https://www.usm.edu/news/2021/release/seven-million-ocean-enterprise.php
Coastal leadership
- In February, USM selected Dr. Shannon Campbell, a leading strategic planning and economic
development professional, as the new Senior Associate Vice President for Coastal Operations.
In this new position, Campbell serves as the lead administrative officer for the University’s
Coastal Operations and will be part of USM’s senior leadership team. https://www.usm.edu/news/2021/release/campbell-lead-coastal-operations.php - Two longtime educators and marine scientists were named to top leadership positions
within the University’s Coastal Operations. Jill Hendon became the permanent Director
of the Center for Fisheries Research and Development (CFRD) after serving as interim
director. Dr. Gregory Carter became the Director of the Gulf Coast Geospatial Center
(GCGC). https://www.usm.edu/news/2021/release/hendon-carter-leadership-roles.php - In January, Dr. Joseph R. (Read) Hendon, longtime marine researcher at USM, was appointed
Director of the University’s renowned Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL). Hendon
has been a research scientist at USM for the past 22 years, serving most of that time
in a variety of roles with the Center for Fisheries Research and Development, including
as its director. https://www.usm.edu/news/2021/release/hendon-director-gcrl.php
