| Tuesday, June 18, 2024 |
| Ask The Dispatch: What construction projects are happening at MSU? | |
 | With students gone for the summer, construction projects at Mississippi State's campus are well underway. MSU Executive Director of Campus Services Saunders Ramsey told The Dispatch that the projects happening on campus are being pursued with students in mind. "You just kind of see that everywhere we go and everything we do is really focused on the student experience and making sure that they have the best learning environment possible," Saunders said. Since June 6, a section of College View Drive, from Bailey Howell Drive to Giles Hall, has been closed for a $3 million extension of Bost Drive. The new road will connect to College View at the intersection of Bailey Howell Road and is expected to be complete in August. Ramsey said the extension is part of a larger $50 million project to update the College of Architecture, Art and Design that also includes a complete renovation of Howell Hall. Expanding the road now will open up the door for future updates, he said. The new Azalea Hall is another project that aims to improve the student experience. The nearly $100 million project will build a new residence hall complete with a new dining facility, which Ramsey said will fill a void of dining options on the north side of campus. The new Jim and Thomas Duff Center will be home to the university's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Clinic and Department of Kinesiology and is under construction at the campus core near the Drill Field. |
| Before Juneteenth: A firsthand account of freedom's earliest celebrations | |
 | Mississippi State University's Susannah J. Ural and Ann Marsh Daly write in The Atlantic: In a quiet corner of a library at Mississippi State University, you'll find a slim red volume that tells the story of what may be America's first Juneteenth. It took place in New Orleans in the summer of 1864 to celebrate the day of liberation for the enslaved people living in the 13 Louisiana parishes exempted from President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, issued the previous January. It was actually a series of celebrations -- or jubilees, as these were known -- over two extraordinary months, with the largest occurring on June 11, a month after the Free State Convention abolished slavery across Louisiana. Juneteenth -- sometimes called America's second Independence Day -- takes its name from June 19, 1865, when the U.S. Army in Galveston, Texas, posted a proclamation declaring the enslaved free. In 1866, Black Galvestonians gathered to commemorate the date of their freedom, beginning an annual observance in Texas that spread across the nation and became a federal holiday in 2021. But the slender volume in the Mississippi museum, and the summer-long celebrations in New Orleans that it records, invites us to realize that Juneteenth was a national holiday from the start. |
| GenCyber: Keesler, MSU empower local K-12 teachers through cyber initiative | |
| Keesler Air Force Base and Mississippi State University partnered to bring the National Security Agency's GenCyber program to local K-12 teachers for a 5-day cyber camp here, June 3-7. The NSA's GenCyber program provides multiple cybersecurity experience camps, focused on students, teachers and a combination of both. These camps provide opportunities to gain more experience and increase student diversity in cybersecurity colleges and career readiness pathways at the secondary level. This recent camp facilitated teacher readiness within a learning community to help them learn, develop, and deliver cybersecurity content for the secondary classroom in collaboration with other nationwide initiatives. "The idea for this camp is to build capacity in teachers able to instruct cybersecurity back in their school districts," said Shelly Hollis, MSU Director of Center for Cyber Education. "For many years, we've taught subjects such as digital citizenship, being safe online and not sharing your password. We wanted to give them an opportunity to go a little bit deeper to learn the real skills behind a cyber career." Nineteen teachers from local school districts learned about cybersecurity essentials. |
| Pollinators Support Agriculture Profitability | |
| Pollinators improve the quality and quantity of farmers' crop yields, adding an estimated $18 billion in crop production revenue annually. While honey bees are the most common commercial pollinator in the U.S., pollinators also include birds, bats, lizards, rodents, moths, butterflies and other insects. Pollinators are vital to pollinating more than 100 commonly grown crops. Additionally, pollinators are crucial elements within healthy and biodiverse ecosystems. However, as significant pollinators are to our ecosystems, their numbers continue to decline. Pollinator species are at risk because of a variety of factors including a changing climate, pesticides, pathogens and land use change. With funding from a number USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture programs including both competitive and capacity programs, Land-grant Universities across the nation are working together to improve habitats and protect pollinators. Mississippi State University is leading an effort to develop pollinator-friendly lawns for pollinators. This project, the Partnership for Pollinator Friendly Lawns in the Southeastern United States, aims to create and promote best management practices for sustainable turfgrass systems that support pollinator health. This work was supported by NIFA's Agriculture and Food Research Initiative. |
| Community Profile: Pit Pastor's the name. Smoking meat is his game. | |
| Outdoor, live-fire cooking played an outsized role in Rev. Andrew McLarty's childhood. He was a Boy Scout. He and his father restored old cast iron skillets together. As an Espicopal youth, he watched in amazement as the "gray-bearded" men of his church in Jackson sagely prepared the meat for parish pig roasts. "These guys would bring these big barbecue pits on trailers and smoke all these chickens and pork butts and things, or a whole pig," McLarty said. "... I just always thought that was cool." He didn't really try his own hand at barbecue until one Thanksgiving when his wife, Emily, challenged him to smoke a turkey on the only outdoor grill he had at the time -- a small Weber Kettle. Unbeknownst to Emily, that challenge gave rise to what would become the "Pit Pastor," a moniker Andrew bears on his vehicle's license plate and a lifestyle supported by the 250-gallon smoker he uses at home and on the road. Andrew became rector in November at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Columbus, something of a homecoming for Emily, a Mississippi University for Women alumna. By then, "Melissa" -- the large custom-built smoker Andrew named after a dear friend from seminary who passed away shortly after graduation -- was already part of the family. It featured prominently at the church's May luncheon, where Andrew smoked extra pork butts for the annual fundraiser. He cooks for sick and bereaved parishioners, for church camp and pastors' events, and sometimes just because. |
| New commander takes charge at Columbus Air Force Base | |
| If there's anything the new commander of the Columbus Air Force Base can take from his predecessor, it's to leave Columbus better than he found it. Col. James "Flash" Blech officially took the reins of the 14th Flying Training Wing from Col. Justin "Vapor" Grieve at the base Monday morning during a change of command ceremony. CAFB changes commanders every two years. Blech said he is looking forward to the challenge of running the base, especially since the wing has helped the entire Air Force evolve. "The world is changing rapidly, and as we all know, if you watch the news, the character of war is evolving with it," Blech said. "And as you know ... the 14th Flying Training Wing is critical in assuring the Air Force can fly ... against any adversary at any time and place of our choosing." Blech comes to Columbus from Laughlin Air Force Base in Texas, where he served two years as commander for the 47th Operations Group. The Laughlin base and Columbus base are both Air Education and Training Command locations, giving Blech prior experience with pilot training which may help with the transition. |
| Tech company trade group seeks to block state's new internet safety act | |
| A trade association with members like Google and X filed a federal lawsuit to block the state's new bipartisan internet safety law. The Walker Montgomery Protecting Children Online Act, or House Bill 1126, requires social media services to verify the ages of their users and bans digitally-produced or modified images of child pornography. The bill is named after Walker Montgomery, a Starkville teen who took his own life after being the victim of a sextortion scheme. Under the new law, minors cannot sign up for social media websites without their parent's permission. Social media sites cannot advertise "harmful material" to minors or collect, sell or share their personal information. The law takes effect July 1. Last week, trade association NetChoice filed a lawsuit in federal court against the state to block it. In a press release, NetChoice called the new law a violation of Mississippians' privacy and freedom of speech. They warned that the bill would open the door for censorship and put users' personal information at risk. "Parents and guardians are best situated to control their family's online presence. HB 1126 usurps the parental role and seizes it for the State," the lawsuit reads. |
| Despite local opposition, Hinds County Supervisors approve solar farm project | |
| What's being touted as the largest solar farm in the state of Mississippi is coming to Hinds County after the Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to approve the project. The county's planning board had previously denied the project unanimously. District 1 Supervisor Robert Graham, District 2 Supervisor Tony Smith and District 4 Supervisor Wanda Evers each supported the project while District 3 Supervisor Deborah Butler-Dixon and District 5 Supervisor Bobby McGowan voted in opposition. Dozens of protestors in opposition to the 6,500-acre project camped outside of the Hinds County courthouse early Monday morning before filing into the supervisors' chambers. They expressed concerns over chemicals used for the solar farm invading neighboring properties as well as disrupting the natural landscape of the area. An online petition against the project was posted online, drawing nearly 800 people to sign on. Allison Lauderdale of Raymond writes on the petition, "While we support the transition to renewable energy sources and recognize the importance of sustainable development, we believe that the installation of large-scale solar farms in our community will have several adverse effects that must be carefully considered." She goes on to list visual and aesthetic concerns, agricultural land use, property values and more. The project, which has been in the works for quite some time, will place a new solar farm on a site between Bolton and Raymond that is expected to generate enough energy to power over 95,000 homes per year, according to Apex Clean Energy of Charlottesville, Virginia, the company developing the site. |
| Judge rules that federal agency can't enforce abortion rule in Louisiana and Mississippi | |
 | A federal judge on Monday granted the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, as well as employers in two Southern states, temporary relief from complying with a federal rule that would have required them to provide workers with time off and other workplace accommodations for abortions. Judge David Joseph granted the preliminary injunction in two consolidated lawsuits, one brought by the attorneys general of Louisiana and Mississippi, and the other brought by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic University and two Catholic dioceses. The lawsuits challenge rules issued in April by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which stated that abortions are among pregnancy-related conditions covered by the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which passed in December 2022 and took effect last year. The EEOC rules take effect Tuesday. Joseph, who was appointed to the bench by former President Donald Trump, enjoined the EEOC from enforcing the abortion provision of its rules against the Catholic plaintiffs and employers located in Louisiana and Mississippi for the duration of the lawsuit. His ruling came just days a federal judge in Arkansas dismissed a similar lawsuit filed by 17 states led by Arkansas and Tennessee. Eastern District of Arkansas U.S. District Judge D.P. Marshall, Jr., who was appointed to the bench by former President Barack Obama, ruled that the states lacked standing to bring the lawsuit. |
| Abortions illegal in Mississippi despite Supreme Court ruling ensuring medication access | |
| Despite a recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court ensuring the availability of the abortion medication mifepristone, most abortions will remain illegal in Mississippi. The nation's highest court in a unanimous decision struck down a lawsuit attempting to limit availability of mifepristone, which is widely used to induce abortions. But use of the drug remains illegal in Mississippi and 13 other states that have near total bans on abortion. "Unfortunately abortion remains illegal in Mississippi whether by medication or other means," said Rob McDuff, of the Mississippi Center for Justice and the attorney for the last abortion provider that remained in the state before the Supreme Court overturned the national right to an abortion in 2021. "However, the Mississippi law banning abortion specifically states that a woman cannot be prosecuted for having an abortion. Anyone who helps her might be prosecuted, but not the person who has the abortion." Technically, a woman could receive the abortion pill from an out-of-state provider through the mail and it could prove difficult for the state to pursue any prosecution. PBS News Hour reported studies found that at the end of 2023, about 8,000 women a month in states where abortions were banned were receiving the abortion pill via mail from states where abortions are legal and providers who perform them are protected by state law from prosecution. |
| Antiabortion Lawsuits Leaned on Discredited, Disputed Research | |
 | Recent efforts to roll back access to abortion have relied in part on certain scientific studies that have been disputed, disavowed or subsequently retracted. These studies, which raise questions about abortion safety, were published in peer-reviewed journals but were later faulted for having irreproducible results, methodological flaws or misleading presentations of data, among other issues. Three studies that have been severely criticized have turned up in more than two dozen lawsuits over the past decade, most frequently in friend-of-the-court briefs, including Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the case that led the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, and FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, the Texas case that brought litigation over the abortion pill to the Supreme Court. The authors of the studies contend that efforts to discredit their work are politically motivated. Professional associations and medical groups including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association, say the overwhelming evidence indicates abortions are safe. One study asserting that the abortion pill was associated with a surge in emergency-room visits by women who had recently had abortions was cited in more than a dozen filings in the Texas mifepristone case, and by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in his since-overturned decision in that case invalidating the pill's approval. The paper was published by the peer-reviewed journal Health Services Research and Managerial Epidemiology in 2021. It was retracted in February. |
| RFK Jr.'s campaign claims he's gained ballot access in Mississippi; secretary of state's office says he hasn't | |
| Hours after Team Kennedy issued a press release stating Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s "We The People" party had gained ballot access in Mississippi, the Secretary of State's Office is saying differently. A spokesperson for Secretary Michael Watson told SuperTalk Mississippi News on Tuesday morning that the We The People party -- which was formed with the sole purpose of getting Kennedy on the presidential ballot while avoiding signature thresholds required for an unaffiliated candidate -- has been informed on multiple occasions that it has not filed the proper paperwork in Mississippi. On Monday evening, the party claimed it had already been approved in Mississippi. "We The People has not filed all of the required paperwork, and we have communicated this with them on multiple occasions," the spokesperson said. Team Kennedy has been contacted about the conflicting reports, saying that SuperTalk Mississippi News' inquiry is "under consideration." The deadline to file paperwork, according to the Secretary of State's Office, is Sept. 6 with the general election set for Nov. 5. |
| Biden to take sweeping election-year action shielding estimated 550,000 from deportation | |
 | President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced a major new policy initiative shielding tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants residing in the United States from deportation, in what amounts to one of the most sweeping immigration measures of his tenure in office. Under the initiative, the Department of Homeland Security will take action to effectively grant federal protections to some undocumented spouses and children of U.S. citizens. The new program, known as "parole in place," will affect an estimated 500,000 spouses of U.S. citizens and 50,000 children under the age of 21, administration officials said. It's the same immigration policy that has been used for qualifying military families since 2007. The timing of the proposal is nearly as notable as the substance, coming just weeks after the president unveiled a restrictive new measure to clamp down on asylum at the southern border. That policy drew sharp rebukes from progressive allies, who accused the administration of adopting a wholly conservative framework toward immigration. The president's aides believe the action will shore up his standing on one of his thorniest political issues. |
| Electric vehicles emerge as flash point in 2024 election | |
 | Just two years ago, Senate Democrats banded together to push through sweeping legislation aimed at combating climate change in part by speeding the transition to electric vehicles with tax credits and other incentives. But now, facing a tough reelection climate in November, some Senate Democrats who are fighting for their political lives in red states are distancing themselves from aspects of President Biden's EV policies as Republicans go on offense against Biden's environmental agenda. Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump has made bashing EVs a cornerstone of his campaign, effectively turning them into culture war fodder in an election year. Meanwhile, a fossil fuel industry group is pouring millions of dollars in ads in swing states tying Democratic senators to Biden's EV push. Trump has vowed to roll back Biden's electric vehicle efforts and warned "you're not going to be able to sell those cars" if he becomes president. The electric vehicle, or EV, issue combines several potent political ingredients -- China, class warfare and what the GOP will probably describe as a spending spree by Congress. The policy's defenders point out the EV transition is crucial to slowing the worst effects of climate change and note the tens of millions of dollars of investment in EV-related factories in the United States, which should create high-paying manufacturing jobs. |
| Biofuel groups envision ethanol-powered jets. But fueling the effort has not been easy | |
| Some day, the passenger jets that soar 35,000 feet (10.6 kilometers) over Dan McLean's North Dakota farm could be fueled by corn grown on his land and millions of other acres across the Midwest. It's a vision the U.S. airline industry embraces and agricultural groups see as a key to ensuring strong future sales of ethanol, a fuel that consumes more than one-third of the nation's corn crop and offers a cleaner-burning alternative for the nation's airlines. But making that dream a reality hasn't been easy, in part because even as farmers would benefit from a huge new market for corn, the plan relies on federal tax credits triggered by capturing carbon dioxide at refineries and then moving the gas hundreds of miles through pipelines that would snake across the Midwest, including beneath farmers' fields. Some of those farmers, along with environmentalist and property rights groups, have gone before regulatory authorities in several Midwest states to oppose the lines, and frequently they have succeeded in at least slowing the process. A key decision is expected soon in Iowa. Supporters have faced such criticism for years as they seek approval of pipelines and tax credits. The credits would mean profits for refineries and help make the cost of the new fuel competitive with traditional jet fuel. But opponents see the pipelines as an expensive and potentially dangerous effort that tramples on property rights and fails to reduce greenhouse gases. |
| Farm to Trouble: As conservation lags, so does progress in slashing Gulf's 'dead zone' | |
 | The cover crop that blankets Dan Voss' farmland from late fall into the spring comforts the Eastern Iowa farmer because he knows heavy spring rain won't wash away his topsoil. These off-season crops also soak up excess fertilizer. But for every Dan Voss, there are a thousand U.S. farmers not growing cover crops or using other conservation practices shown to reduce runoff. Other agricultural practices -- more tile drainage, more livestock and more fertilizer -- are thwarting plans to slash nitrogen and phosphorus washing down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico, where excess nutrients threaten wildlife and fishing industries. "The agricultural community, we need to get with it," Voss said. Just one year away from a 2025 deadline to reduce nitrate and phosphorus entering the Gulf by 20%, success seems unlikely. The Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force, a collaboration of state, federal and tribal agencies charged with controlling fertilizer pollution, told Congress last fall that nitrogen loads in the Mississippi River basin decreased 23% from the baseline period to 2021. But the five-year running average – which accounts for extremely wet and dry years more common with climate change – tells a different story. By that measure, nitrogen is only slightly below baseline and well above the 20% target. Phosphorus loads worsened since the baseline period. The oxygen-deprived 'dead zone' in the Gulf is predicted to be 5,827 square miles this summer, 5% larger than average, according to a forecast last week by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. |
| Frank Neville begins presidency at Millsaps College | |
| Frank Neville's tenure as president at Millsaps College is officially underway. Neville, who comes to the private liberal arts school in Jackson from Georgia Tech, began his duties on Monday. He previously served as senior vice president of strategic initiatives and chief of staff under Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera. "I am absolutely thrilled to join the Millsaps community," Neville said after the Millsaps College Board of Trustees selected him last January. "I am tremendously inspired by Millsaps' student-centric, mission-driven philosophy and look forward to moving the college resolutely forward Ad Excellentiam (in pursuit of excellence)." Before Georgia Tech, Neville served as chief of staff and vice president of communications and marketing at George Mason University. Neville was vice president for global communication and public affairs at the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University before joining George Mason. In addition to his work in higher education, Neville was a career diplomat for the State Department. He served in Taipei, Chengdu, Guatemala City, Beijing, and Nogales. Neville succeeds Rob Pearigen, who stepped down to serve as president of Sewanee: The University of the South. |
| William Carey University appoints Cochran as new provost | |
 | William Carey University has announced the appointment of its new provost. WCU announced that Dr. Noal Cochran joined its senior leadership team Monday as provost and vice president of academic affairs. Cochran returns to William Carey after six years at the University of Southern Mississippi, where he was associate dean for Educator Preparation and Accreditation. His work at USM also included serving on dissertation committees. "Dr. Cochran's wide professional experience makes him an exceptional choice for this position. In addition to his work as a higher education administrator, his background spans at least five William Carey schools and departments -- including the School of Natural and Behavioral Sciences," said WCU President Dr. Ben Burnett. According to the university, Cochran has a Bachelor's degree in polymer science and a Master's in science education. He has taught chemistry and psychology at the high school and community college levels, and general psychology at the community college level. "As an ordained Southern Baptist minister, Dr. Cochran has a connection to our Cooper School of Missions and Ministry Studies -- and is deeply committed to the mission of William Carey University," Burnett said. |
| Alabama universities see funding increases in 2025 | |
| Alabama's public universities will see increases in funding in fiscal year 2025 averaging 7.24% above the current year. The universities have combined direct appropriations of about $1.6 billion, up from $1.5 billion this year, Jim Purcell, executive director of the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, said Friday during the commission's quarterly board meeting. Purcell said the allocations were relatively close to ACHE's funding requests. "As you know, some people have better politics than others, so it's not an exact science," he said. Purcell said higher education had a good 2024 legislative session. "(We're) very appreciative of the Legislature for their support, especially for operations and maintenance," Purcell said. He said recent increases in funding have been specific to initiatives and projects, so the additional and more general operations and maintenance funding is helpful to universities. There was also a $500,000 increase in the state's low income student assistance program to $9.5 million. Need-based aid in Alabama still lags when compared to other states. About 2.2% of higher education's appropriation was used for financial support in fiscal year 2023. The national average is 10% |
| New Louisiana law seeks crackdown on civil disobedience in campus protests | |
| Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has enacted a law to exclude acts of civil disobedience from free speech protections on college campuses. Senate Bill 294 by Sen. Valarie Hodges, R-Denham Springs, was billed as a pro-free speech proposal. The bill was designed to "shore up protections" for campus speech, Hodges said "What we need on college campuses is education, not activists," Hodges said. Students and faculty opposed the bill because they fear it will criminalize free speech. The new law specifically excludes any act that carries a criminal penalty from free speech protections, meaning campus free speech policies would no longer protect acts of civil disobedience. "Criminalizing free speech is not the answer," Pablo Zavala, a Loyola University of New Orleans professor, said during a committee hearing on the bill in May. "Just because someone does not agree with what students are saying or what they are protesting does not give lawmakers authority to curb their rights." Louisiana's new law also excludes any "activities in which an individual or group is knowingly being monetarily funded or organized by any individual, corporation, business, or organization that has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization or foreign adversary by the United States Department of State" from free speech protections. |
| U. of Tennessee proposed lease may breathe new life into Southern Railway Station | |
 | The University of Tennessee at Knoxville soon could be pulling into the station with a new plan to expand its College of Architecture and Design into Knoxville's Old City. UT is proposing to lease the historic Southern Railway Depot buildings just north of downtown for art and architecture classes, offices and a design studio. The UT System Board of Trustees will vote on the lease at its annual meeting June 25. If the proposal is approved, UT would use the vacant train station for five years, with the option to add more years. The base rent would be $705,625 per year with a potential 3% annual increase. For five years, the total rent would be over $3.74 million. The Southern Railway Station was built in 1903 by Southern Railway to accommodate passenger trains and travelers. It remained in use until 1970 with the Birmingham Special as the last passenger train to pass through the station. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Railroad Landmarks list in 2003 and became a destination for offices and private events. Blue Slip Winery moved into the station in 2015 and announced earlier this year that it planned to move. |
| UGA research paper suggests doctors too often pigeonhole overweight patients as unfit | |
 | Nutrition is a key determinant of health. But American physicians aren't receiving effective training to counsel patients on the topic, according to a new paper from University of Georgia researchers. Current medical training focuses on weight and body mass index (BMI), exacerbating anti-obesity bias and increasing the risk of eating disorders, the authors said. And it doesn't give future doctors adequate education on how to encourage healthier eating habits. "Mainstream medicine is still very focused on linking weight to health," said Kearney Gunsalus, lead author of the paper and an assistant professor at the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership. "Because people with obesity and higher body weights are more likely to have health problems, it's easy to jump to the conclusion that the weight itself is causing those problems. And if you assume that the weight is causing the problems, it seems logical to assume that weight loss is the solution." The researchers advocate that small changes to medical education and in how health care providers interact with their patients could have a real impact on some of the greatest health challenges facing the world today. |
| Tulane University official named next UF Vice President for Construction, Facilities and Auxiliary Operations | |
| Tulane University Vice President Randy Philipson will replace Dave Kratzer as UF's vice president for construction and facilities beginning July 22, according to a news release. Kratzer will step back to work part-time on select university projects, the news release said. It was unclear why Kratzer stepped down from his vice presidency. "Lots of people wanted him, but we got him," UF President Ben Sasse wrote. "His experience is a great fit for what we need: an experienced leader who has the bandwidth to ride herd on all the buildings -- old, new and under construction -- of a $10 billion enterprise." From 2006 to 2013, Philipson was the director of engineering and operations for SMG Mercedes-Benz Superdome, Smoothie King Center and Champions Square in New Orleans. He coordinated with FEMA after Hurricane Katrina. Philipson joined Tulane University in 2015 as vice president for facilities, campus development and real estate. Some of his achievements include renovating the 600,000-square-foot Tulane Medical Center and generating $1 billion from projects such as a 77,000-square-foot dining hall called The Commons. Philipson earned his master's in business administration from Tulane in 2023. |
| UT Austin Changes Course to Require In-Person Work | |
 | This summer will mark the end of remote work for most staff at the University of Texas at Austin, president Jay Hartzell announced Wednesday. The mandate has left staff members reeling, faculty doubting the value of shared governance and human resource experts questioning the wisdom of the move. "I'm concerned for people who have disabilities, who have erratic doctor's appointments, who have infants at home, who have set up their lives with remote and hybrid work so that they're in some way manageable," said Anne Lewis, a UT Austin union representative. "And those are some of the best workers at the university -- the people who are doing everything they can to be productive and to keep their jobs and to be respected." Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down college campuses across the country in March 2020, UT Austin -- like many institutions -- has allowed employees in many departments to work remotely at least some of the time. National research shows that the gesture has helped maintain employee satisfaction and retention during a difficult time in higher ed, and many staff have come to count on the flexibility. But at UT Austin at least, the perk is drawing to a close. Texas governor Greg Abbott was quick to voice approval for the decision on X. "This is the way," he wrote. "University of Texas to end remote work for almost all staff in August. It's past time to get back to work." |
| 131 college scholarships put on hold or modified due to Texas DEI ban, documents show | |
| For Richard Oliver, the night of June 3, 2014, was a parent's worst nightmare. His daughter Devin Oliver and her classmate Aubree Butts, players on the women's basketball team at Texas A&M University at Commerce, were killed in a car crash in rural Paris, Texas. The community mourned and celebrated Oliver and Butts by creating a memorial scholarship. "I appreciated the fact that that scholarship was targeted specifically for that demographic type -- Black female athlete, and particularly basketball -- because that's who my daughter was," Richard Oliver told The Dallas Morning News. Now the Devin Oliver and Aubree Butts Memorial Scholarship -- and 130 others across Texas -- are frozen or being modified as the state's public universities implement a new state law, according to documents obtained by The News through open records requests. The affected scholarships comprise 80 at Texas A&M University institutions, 45 at University of Texas-affiliated campuses and six at three other public universities. Known as Senate Bill 17 and authored by state Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, the law is a ban on diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, programs at public universities in Texas and went into effect Jan. 1. |
| When colleges close, students are left scrambling. Some never go back to school | |
| Katherine Anderson trekked from Texas to Philadelphia last year for a college program she couldn't find anywhere else, combining the music business, entrepreneurship and technology. Two weeks ago, she received the startling news the university would be shutting down within days. The closure of the University of the Arts has left her and 1,300 other students scrambling to find somewhere to go or something to do. By the time the school announced its closure, many colleges had already cut off admissions for the fall. Anderson was accepted into the music industry program at nearby Drexel University, which she said wasn't a perfect match, but "the next best thing, I guess." "Because of all that's going on, I felt very pressured to make a decision as fast as possible," Anderson said. She is now suing the University of the Arts. More colleges around the country have been closing as they cope with steep declines in enrollment, a consequence of both changing demographics and the effects of the pandemic. The closures in recent years have left tens of thousands of students in limbo -- and at increased risk of never finishing their degrees at all. Nationally, as many as half of students whose campuses close don't resume their studies, according to the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association, whose data surveys both nonprofit and for-profit schools, including two-year colleges. Other students lose credits or have to spend more to enroll elsewhere. |
| What Colleges Can Learn From 2 Federal Civil-Rights Investigations | |
 | The City University of New York and the University of Michigan must improve their processes for investigating civil-rights complaints, according to resolution agreements announced by the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights on Monday. The federal agency scrutinized allegations of both antisemitism and anti-Palestinian bias at the two institutions. Since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, the Office for Civil Rights has been flooded with dozens of discrimination complaints at colleges across the country. The two resolution agreements provide America's college leaders with a window into OCR's thinking -- including what actions it expects from colleges, and how the agency will react if those expectations are not met. Under its resolution agreement with OCR, the University of Michigan will take a number of steps, including reviewing discrimination complaints to determine whether a hostile environment was created, updating its overall policies and procedures, administering additional employee training, and performing "a climate assessment for students and employees." Michigan's president, Santa J. Ono, said the university "condemns all forms of discrimination, racism, and bias in the strongest possible terms." |
| Biden's Title IX law expanding protections for LGBTQ+ students is dealt another setback | |
| The Biden administration's effort to expand protections for LGBTQ+ students hit another roadblock Monday, when a federal judge in Kentucky temporarily blocked the new Title IX rule in six additional states. U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves referred to the regulation as "arbitrary in the truest sense of the word" in granting a preliminary injunction blocking it in Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. His ruling comes days after a different federal judge temporarily blocked the new rule from taking effect in Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi and Montana. Attorneys general in more than 20 Republican-led states have filed at least seven legal challenges to President Joe Biden's new policy. Republicans argue the policy is a ruse to allow transgender girls to play on girls athletic teams. The Biden administration said the rule does not apply to athletics. Still under consideration is a request for a preliminary injunction filed by the Republican attorneys general of Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. The Education Department has asked a judge to deny the request. Set to take hold in August, the rule expands Title IX civil rights protections to LGBTQ+ students, expands the definition of sexual harassment at schools and colleges, and adds safeguards for victims. Title IX, passed in 1972, is a law that bars sex discrimination in education. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State adds former Bulldogs star Victoria Vivians as assistant coach, scouting director | |
| Mississippi State women's basketball coach Sam Purcell has hired former Bulldogs star and WNBA veteran Victoria Vivians as assistant coach and scouting director. The school said in a statement Monday that Vivians, a sixth-year league guard/forward playing this season for the Seattle Storm after five with the Indiana Fever, will join Mississippi State in October and continue her role through the WNBA offseason. She was part of the Bulldogs' winningest class with 126 victories from 2014-18, highlighted by consecutive NCAA national championship game appearances in 2017 and '18 among four straight berths overall. Purcell called Vivians a "home run hire" in the statement and believes she will be a great resource and mentor to student-athletes in her return to the program. He noted her contribution in helping Mississippi State attain national prominence during her college career and added, "To have that energy, commitment and love for this place, combined with her knowledge of the game and her ability to teach it will be invaluable to our program and elevate it to another level." Vivians said it's a dream come true to join Purcell's staff at Mississippi State and is thankful for the opportunity to be part of a program she loves. |
| Victoria Vivians to coach at Mississippi State during WNBA offseason | |
| A Mississippi State women's basketball legend is coming home to Starkville. Former Bulldog and current WNBA player Victoria Vivians has agreed to utilize the upcoming offseason as an assistant coach and director of scouting within Sam Purcell's program. That means Vivians, who is in her first season with the Seattle Storm and sixth professional season overall, will be on staff from October until sometime in May when the 2025 WNBA season begins. Vivians, a native of Carthage, played four seasons for Mississippi State from 2014-2018. Named an All-American each year, the guard/forward helped revitalize the program and led them to back-to-back national championship games. Since being drafted No. 8 overall by the Indiana Fever in 2018, Vivians has averaged 7.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists across 158 professional games. The short-term gig in Starkville could be a sign of something more permanent to come as it's not abnormal for players to turn to coaching upon retirement. However, Vivians has not confirmed publicly if she plans to retire any time soon. |
| Mississippi State women's basketball hires program legend Vivians as assistant coach | |
| Six years after wrapping up one of the most decorated careers in Mississippi State sports history, Victoria Vivians is back in Starkville, joining head coach Sam Purcell's staff as an assistant coach and director of scouting. Vivians is in her first season as a shooting guard with the WNBA's Seattle Storm after previously spending five years with the Indiana Fever, who drafted her eighth overall in 2018. As a player for the Bulldogs, she won the Gillom Trophy -- presented annually to the best women's college basketball player in the state of Mississippi -- all four years and helped lead MSU to back-to-back national title game appearances. This will be Vivians' first opportunity as a coach, and she joins a staff that is almost entirely new to Starkville but hardly short on experience. Associate head coach Fred Castro was previously the head coach at Eastern Michigan, assistant Anita Howard was the head coach at Georgia Southern and Samantha Williams spent the last three years in the Southeastern Conference as an assistant coach at Tennessee. Vivians will continue to play for the Storm through the end of the WNBA season before joining the MSU program in October. It's a similar arrangement to Rhyne Howard's situation at Florida -- the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft joined the Gators' coaching staff last fall and continues to play for the Atlanta Dream. |
| Bond denied for suspects accused of killing Southern Miss football player | |
| Bond has been denied for the three suspects connected to the shooting death of Southern Miss football player MJ Daniels. Orlando May, 18, Allen Marcus Gardner, 17, and Samir Green, 16, will remain behind bars until trial. Each of the teenagers is charged with capital murder and armed carjacking. May also faces additional charges for felony eluding, and two counts of grand larceny auto. The shooting took place on Tuesday night at the Ivy Row apartment complex near Highway 49. The trio is accused of attempting to break into a vehicle occupied by Daniels before shooting the football player. Hattiesburg police found Daniels deceased in his vehicle with gunshot wounds on Wednesday morning. After investigating the fatal incident, law enforcement was able to track down and place all three suspects in handcuffs on Friday. Daniels, 21, joined the Southern Miss football team in 2023 after playing two years at Ole Miss. The George County product was expected to be a key piece for the Golden Eagles once again in 2024 for his senior season. |
| Les Miles sues LSU for vacating wins, saying they hurt his Hall of Fame chances | |
 | Former LSU football coach Les Miles filed a lawsuit Monday against the school in response to it last June vacating 37 wins from his tenure as coach. LSU voluntarily annulled the wins as part of the NCAA Notice of Allegations it received in March 2022 regarding its men's basketball and football programs. The vacated victories dropped Miles' all-time winning percentage to .597 (108-73), dropping him below the .600 mark that would have made him eligible to make the College Football Hall of Fame. The NCAA and the National Football Foundation, which runs the College Football Hall of Fame, also were listed as defendants in the lawsuit. According to the complaint Miles' attorney submitted, Miles is seeking a declaratory judgment stating that he is eligible for the College Football Hall of Fame, and that the vacated wins should be counted toward his qualification. "After LSU promised us its help in undoing this injustice, LSU went back on its word, forcing us to take this unfortunate action of suing in order to regain Les' rights," George Bass, Miles' longtime agent, said in a news release from Miles' attorney, Peter Ginsburg. |
| Pat McAfee remains unsigned with ESPN's 'College GameDay' as season nears | |
 | With the start of the season a little more than two months away, Pat McAfee remains unsigned with ESPN's "College GameDay," sources briefed on McAfee's contract talks told The Athletic. McAfee, the 37-year-old talk show host, wrestling analyst and firebrand, said late last year that he would return to the program, but a deal to make that official is still not completed. McAfee has a separate contract that allows ESPN to license his daily "The Pat McAfee Show" on its network and YouTube. ESPN declined to comment, while McAfee did not return messages. "GameDay" will have a new look this upcoming season with the addition of Nick Saban, who retired from coaching after last season. Saban will join host Rece Davis, Desmond Howard, Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso and presumably McAfee. McAfee has been on "GameDay" for the better part of two seasons. Before this run, he made some guest appearances in previous years. Last October, McAfee indicated that he might leave "GameDay" after the season. "I have heard you all very loud and clear since the beginning of my stint with 'GameDay,'" McAfee wrote on X, reacting to a survey done by The Athletic in which nearly half of the 3,100 responses said they did not care for McAfee on the program. "It's one of the biggest reasons why I have not re-signed a contract with the legendary show." |
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