Fall SouthTalks Series Focuses on Mississippi Voices

Lineup kicks off virtually Sept. 8 with Benton County reflections, goes in-person in October

OXFORD, Miss. – This fall, the SouthTalks Series, sponsored by the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi, focuses on “Mississippi Voices.” SouthTalks explore the interdisciplinary nature of Southern studies and includes lectures, performances, film screenings and panel discussions. Although events usually take place in the Tupelo Room of BarnardRead the story …

University Community Remembers Luther August Knight Jr.

Beloved biology professor helped establish UM Field Station, conducted groundbreaking research

OXFORD, Miss. – Family and members of the University of Mississippi community are fondly recalling memories of the late Luther Augustus Knight Jr., a beloved retired biology professor whose noteworthy achievements included helping establish the university’s renowned Field Station. Knight, 90, died Aug. 23 at Yalobusha General Hospital in Water Valley. Services were Aug. 26Read the story …

Helping Farms be in Harmony with Nature

EPA grant involves researchers, Mississippi Delta farmers exploring agricultural runoff water

OXFORD, Miss. – A University of Mississippi professor is using an Environmental Protection Agency grant to explore the potential benefits of holding runoff water on agricultural landscapes after crops are harvested. The move could reduce the pollution of downstream waterways, improve soil health and crop yields, provide crucial food and habitat for migratory birds, reduce pumpingRead the story …

National Book Award Finalist Named 2022 Grisham Writer-in-Residence

Deesha Philyaw is helping develop 'The Secret Lives of Church Ladies' for HBO Max

OXFORD, Miss. – Acclaimed fiction writer Deesha Philyaw has been named the 2022-23 John and Renée Grisham Writer-in-Residence at the University of Mississippi. Philyaw is the prize-winning author of the short story collection “The Secret Lives of Church Ladies” (West Virginia University Press, 2020), which won the 2021 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, the 2021 StoryRead the story …

Census Data Offers Insights into Changing Face of the State

Mississippi leaders can use information to improve communities, stem population loss

OXFORD, Miss – The latest installment of 2020 U.S. Census data, released earlier this week, offers some important insights for state and local leaders on how the region’s demographics are shifting and how to battle the trend of declining population within Mississippi’s borders. Unlike the first release in April, this data includes demographic characteristics –Read the story …

Author Aimee Nezhukumatathil Set to Deliver Fall Convocation Keynote

Annual welcome for new and transfer students returns to in-person format Aug. 24

Note: The University of Mississippi Fall Convocation has been rescheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 21, in the Grove.     OXFORD, Miss. – Aimee Nezhukumatathil, University of Mississippi English professor and award-winning author, will deliver the keynote address to the university’s first-year/transfer class Aug. 24 during the annual Fall Convocation. The in-person event beginsRead the story …

Opening Tiny Worlds of Exploration

NSF funding provides new imaging microscope for UM research

OXFORD, Miss. – A powerful new imaging instrument arriving soon on the University of Mississippi campus promises to open novel worlds of research exploration. Through a National Science Foundation grant, the university is acquiring an advanced Fourier transform infrared, or FTIR, imaging microscope, a device that can chemically analyze, identify and measure tiny samples, suchRead the story …

Creating Opportunities in Taiwan

Fund eases study abroad costs for UM students

OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi and Taiwan are on opposite sides of the globe, but a recent gift from American First National Bank is bringing the two closer together. As a result of the Houston, Texas-headquartered bank’s $60,000 gift, UM students studying abroad in Taiwan will be able to afford a host ofRead the story …

Cafer Named Director of Center for Population Studies

Expert overseeing census, other data important to meeting research needs

OXFORD, Miss. – Anne M. Cafer has assumed duties as director of the University of Mississippi‘s Center for Population Studies, which works to educate, conduct research and engage in public outreach concerning population issues across the state. Since July 1, the assistant professor of sociology has been overseeing outreach related to public data for theRead the story …

Conference to Explore Contributions of Mississippi Authors

Annual event includes biographers and friends of William Faulkner, Eudora Welty and Richard Wright

OXFORD, Miss. – Renowned Mississippi authors William Faulkner, Eudora Welty and Richard Wright are the focus of the University of Mississippi‘s 47th annual Faulkner and Yoknapatawpha Conference, being conducted virtually July 18-21. Focusing on the theme “Faulkner, Welty, Wright: A Mississippi Confluence,” the virtual international conference includes four days of lectures, panels and other presentations.Read the story …