At the Flagship, March 2021 - Office of the Chancellor

CHANCELLOR’S 3 THINGS TO KNOW

The arrival of spring on our campus is a magnificent time, and it brings with it a sense of great possibilities. That sense is matched by the anticipation we feel as we start to emerge from pandemic life. Now, and as we continue moving forward with all of our endeavors, we’ve got newfound expertise and commitment to devote to our students, our community, our nation — and, as highlighted in this month’s special section — the world. Here are 3 Things to Know right now:

Are You Ready?: I was pleased in February to announce that the Fall 2021 semester will be offered fully in person and on campus in a return to pre-COVID-19 operations. This development is enabled by the growing adoption and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. Meanwhile, the spring has put a pep in our step with over 2,000 registered student events. One in particular that I’m excited for is the Chancellor’s Wellness Challenge coming up in April that will incentivize students to participate in wellness-focused events and to adopt positive habits. Be sure to stay tuned for more info.
Vaccine Distribution: Last week, we launched a vaccination site on the Oxford campus to administer COVID-19 vaccines to employees. And this week, we are offering three days of appointments that also include students. I have such gratitude and admiration for the entire team that made this possible under the leadership of our School of Pharmacy. An operation of this magnitude does not happen overnight. Standing up this site illustrates our commitment to protect the health of our community, and it aligns with our mission by providing our students a fantastic opportunity to hone their skills in a clinical setting. We remain laser-focused on our goals of getting vaccines in arms so that no doses go unused and vaccinating as many people on our campus as we can. Get vaccinated when and where you can!
Giving Day: Heads up — Giving Day will span a little more than 24 hours on April 13-14. This annual event is a way to build support for the people, places and programs that make our beloved University of Mississippi the fantastic place that it is. We are better together, and together, we can make a powerful impact on the world. Every gift matters! If you’re excited about helping the university in this effort, sign up to be a Giving Day influencer today.

On a final note, be sure to show lots of love for our city by voting for the City of Oxford in the second round of the sixth annual Strongest Town Competition. Voting closes Thursday, March 25 at 12 noon CDT. We’re so grateful that we get to live, learn, work and play in Oxford!

Until next month, take care!

Signature of Glenn

Glenn F. Boyce

Chancellor

FLAGSHIP FACTS

Line drawing of a shooting mark, text says 3rd place finish by Ole Miss Rifle 2021 NCAA Rifle Championships. Highest finish in program history. Line drawing of music notes, text says $185,000 Rebelthon funds raised,2021 Line drawing of a graduation cap on a globe, text says 1,000+ study abroad programs available to UM students (international internships, research, direct enrollment at overseas institutions)

Global Impact: A Legacy of Leading from Oxford to the World

The reach of the University of Mississippi emanates from Oxford across our state, the nation, and points far beyond our nation’s borders. Check out the following ways in which we’re preparing our students for global citizenship, fostering relationships with international universities and institutions, and making a global impact through the stellar efforts of our students, faculty, and researchers.

Shaping International Scholars: The university has a distinguished track record of our students competing on an international stage for prestigious awards and scholarships. This includes 27 Rhodes Scholars, 28 Boren Scholars and 24 Fulbright Scholars. These elite accomplishments are an outstanding reflection of the intellectual and leadership abilities of our students.

Attracting Students from Every Corner: Our students hail from 86 countries, bringing the world to Mississippi and contributing to a deep multicultural campus climate. This includes students from our top five countries: China, Nepal, India, Saudi Arabia and South Korea. And new for this academic year, we welcomed these countries to our campus population: Bulgaria, Chile, Finland, Hungary, Switzerland and Morocco. We even have a student from Fiji!

Training in Critical Languages: UM boasts Language Flagship Programs in both Arabic and Chinese, a distinction that means we’re educating ambitious language learners who graduate with a commanding fluency in languages that are critical to our national security and our competitiveness in the global economy.

Guiding Space Law: Since 1965, the University of Mississippi has been home to the Center for Air and Space Law, the only ABA-accredited law school to offer an LL.M. in Air and Space Law. Its mission is to provide excellence in global legal scholarship and practice in the fields of air and space law.

Leading Botanicals Research: The UM National Center for Natural Products Research hosts the International Conference on the Science of Botanicals, which attracts internationally recognized participants and is known as a leading symposium for the scientific study of botanicals.

Serving Communities in Need: In the most recent trip of the University of Mississippi chapter of Engineers Without Borders, members traveled to an Ecuadorian community to increase the water supply to the community, its school and its health center. The student-led organization previously fulfilled a 10-year commitment in Togo, West Africa, completing a new schoolhouse and installing a deep water well to deliver safe drinking water to a children’s hospital.

Advancing Insurance Education: The Risk Management and Insurance program of the Ole Miss School of Business Administration is one of only 34 Global Centers of Insurance Excellence that have been recognized across 11 countries. This designation is an indication of RMI’s role in advancing insurance education, enhancing industry research and intellectual development and building connections between the insurance industry and top-tier academic programs and faculty.

Mitigating Threats: Our National Center for Physical Acoustics played a leading role in the establishment of infrasound stations around the world for monitoring large explosions for the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which outlaws tests of nuclear weapons. Data from these stations can also be used to predict hurricane tracks and warn airline pilots of remote volcanoes.

Working Around the Globe: For over two decades, the Croft Institute for International Studies has prepared hundreds of graduates for careers on the world stage. Croft alumni use their strong language skills, international experience, and ability to synthesize a wide range of information to excel in a variety of fields, including business, law, government service, non-profit work, and education.

Fostering International Exchange: For 12 years, the university has partnered with Project Go, a government-funded program to train Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) students and offer critical language education, study abroad opportunities and intercultural dialogue opportunities.

Orbiting the World: With three active UM experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS), Ole Miss is literally orbiting the Earth every 90 minutes! One of the ISS experiments has bacteria grown in an Ole Miss lab that could improve future space flights by enhancing bacterial control mechanisms.