OXFORD, Miss. – For the third year in a row, University of Mississippi
student Anna Hailey will be studying in China this summer.
Over the past two summers, the Ole Miss senior from Muscle Shoals,
Ala., immersed herself in the language and culture as a Chinese
language major studying abroad. This time around, she becomes the first
UM engineering student to study at Zhejiang University, the nation’s
leading engineering school.
“I’m very excited about doing research there,” said Hailey, who is
pursuing a bachelor’s degree with a triple major that also includes
chemistry and chemical engineering. Her study is part of a five-year
research collaboration on controlling pollutants from coal-fired
boilers. She expects her project will focus on studying carbon
emissions.
Hailey said that she was led to Ole Miss because of her dual desire to become an engineer and to be fluent in a foreign language.
“I like that the School of Engineering faculty is so accessible to its students,” she said. “I feel that I’m getting a competitive yet personal education here. After I learned that Ole Miss offers a degree in Chinese, I knew that this was the right place for me.”
Department chairs in Hailey’s major fields of study boast of her achievements.
“Anna is an exemplary student in every respect,” said Clint Williford, chair and professor of chemical engineering. “She has maintained a strong GPA while pursuing a five-year, three-degree program. Through intensive study, she passed a language exam qualifying her to take engineering courses in China.”
Donald Dyer, chair and professor of modern languages, echoed those sentiments.
“When I speak of the accomplishments of students in our department, I make sure to mention Miss Hailey,” Dyer said. “She is one of the truly exceptional students in our Chinese Flagship Language Program, which has the highest of academic standards and which produces superior speakers of the language.”
A student in the university’s Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, Hailey is also involved in several extracurricular activities. She is president of the campus chapter of Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society, member of Gamma Beta Phi honor society, an Associated Student Body senator and an Ole Miss Ambassador. She has also been a member of the Pride of the South Marching Band color guard and a volunteer assistant in UM academic competitions.
Already with enough academic credit hours to be qualified as a senior, Hailey expects to complete requirements for her bachelor’s degree with three majors in 2011. She plans to attend graduate school, then focus on her career goal of becoming a researcher in an area that will allow her to use her Chinese language abilities.
Hailey is the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. William Hailey of Muscle Shoals.