Newsletter Winter 2024-2025

Annette Kluck, Dean of the Graduate School

Greetings to the Graduates, Students, Colleagues, and Friends of the Graduate School!

We hope you are enjoying the warmth of time with loved ones as we share our Fall/Winter edition of the newsletter for the 2024-2025 academic year. Already, 2025 is full of surprises, including the fact that our campus was too far north to experience the most recent snow within our state.

As many of you may know, our fall semester was busy on campus with record enrollment for the University. With growth comes the expected challenges. Despite the obstacles, our graduate students find ways to thrive.

The 2024 Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition was again a celebration of excellence. Students from across the campus competed for a chance to represent us in the regional competition. In this newsletter, you’ll learn about the fascinating research of our winners and the exciting scholarship pursued by some of our other top performers. As several of our competitors embark upon their final semester for their degree programs, watching them compete convinced me that they are prepared to leave a legacy in their fields.

Of course, our 3MT® competition would not have been possible without the help of our judges. I want to take a moment to recognize the four individuals who took time away from other celebrations over the weekend of the Georgia game to help us select the student who will represent our University at the regional competition. Our final round judges were:

Amanda Lewis Hyneman, an owner of the famous Neilson’s department store on the historic Square, is a fourth-generation Oxonian and graduate of our beloved institution. In addition to being part of the gameday traditions as students and parents seek out branded apparel, Hyneman serves on the Courthouse Square Preservation Commission.
Rebecca Alexander serves as the Vice President and Group Publisher for the region for Summerville Communications Inc. In 2019, she became the publisher of The Oxford Eagle and The Panolian. Alexander is an active board member of the Mississippi Press Association, shaping her industry and our state.
Jeffrey Hubbard, a partner with Hubbard, Mitchell Williams, and Strain, is a distinguished attorney and proud double graduate of our institution. In addition to his work in the legal field, Hubbard serves on various charities, boards, and organizations. In fact, he is the current president of the UM Alumni Association.
Our Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management, Eduardo Prieto, joined UM in 2021. Under his leadership, our student body has grown—no small feat given that the percentage of high school graduates who enroll in college is falling nationwide. As a first-generation college graduate, Prieto strongly supports access to our institution for Mississippians.

Our judges have a difficult job. Learning about the exciting research pursued by our graduate students is rewarding. However, selecting a winner among many talented competitors is challenging, and our judges work quickly. We are grateful to our 2024 3MT® final round judges!

Another remarkable development featured in this issue of our newsletter is the R. Kelley Thueson Graduate Fellowship, named after the donor who funded the award. Dr. Thueson, a UM graduate, generously provided funds for this endowed fellowship. The fellowship supports a student working with children or adults with significant financial need. Read about the outstanding doctoral student who received the R. Kelley Thueson Graduate Fellowship and how she serves our community while she completes her training.

Our fourth story features something that is not so new: the Oxford Science Café. Graduate students in our physics department embody the idea of an institution that serves its state. They facilitate opportunities for community members of all ages to come and learn about the research happening on campus. The Science Café is a beautiful example of how our graduate students touch the lives of individuals beyond the campus, and we hope that attending these talks will inspire children to dream of a career in science.

Finally, our Graduate School offers numerous opportunities for graduate students to hone skills beyond their standard course and degree offerings. In this issue, we highlight how the various professional development offerings, designed to facilitate learning and building new connections among graduate students, meaningfully contribute to the learning environment and set our students up for success.

We encourage all of our readers to connect with us. Send us an email at gschool@olemiss.edu or visit the Graduate House. We especially encourage you to visit our building on February 25, 2025, from 3:00 to 5:00 pm while we host the Image of Research Competition. It is another excellent way to learn about the fantastic work our graduate students do while they pursue their degrees at UM.

Wishing you a wonderful spring,

Annette S. Kluck, Ph.D.

Dean of the Graduate School

Winter Newsletter 2024-2025

Spring 2024 Newsletter

Link to Spring Newsletter 2024