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SUMMER 2014
For Alumni & Friends of The W
EVERY
STUDENT
CAN LEARN
SUMMER 2014
M A G A Z I N E
MISSISSIPPI UNIVERSITY for WOMEN
F E AT U R E S
MUW Office of University Relations
Nick Adams ’07,
graphic artist
Chris Jenkins,
assistant director, photographer
10
Maridith Walker Geuder,
executive director of
university relations
Anika Mitchell Perkins ’93,
director of public affairs
Rich Sobolewski ‘04,
university webmaster
Editorial Assistance
Lyndsay Cumberland ‘07,
director of alumni relations
14 18
Tammy Godfrey,
alumni relations data manager
Angela Richardson Jones ’93,
assistant to senior vice
president for administration | CFO
Jill D. O’Bryant ’95,
executive assistant to
the president
22 Check out Visions
magazine online at:
www.muw.edu/visions
10 | Sacred Spaces
12 | Getting to the Core
14 | Weeks of Success
18 | Every Student Can Learn
22 | An Artist, Recognized
26 | Perpetual Students
Also in this issue:
2 | Campus Briefs 33 | Class Notes The publication of Visions is funded by private
funds contributed to the MUW Foundation.
6 | Faculty & Staff Kudos 44 | Snapshots
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
Dear W family and friends: Others featured in this issue came to teaching by different
majors, different careers and different early paths. But all
In this issue of Visions, we believe that teaching is what they were meant to do and say
celebrate teaching. Not only that they’re convinced it’s “far better than any other job in
does our College of Education the world.” We’re proud of the inspiration they found from
and Human Sciences do an their experiences at The W.
excellent job of preparing the
next generation of teachers We’re also pleased to recognize outstanding faculty members
for Mississippi, but they start who this year earned the Kossen Faculty Excellence Award
early. You’ll read about a and the Faculty Member of the Year Award. These honors
highly successful program recognize outstanding career accomplishments in teaching
called Kids ‘N College, a and scholarship excellence, as well as service and artistic
partnership between The W and the local Sale International accomplishment.
Studies Magnet School. It’s broadening the experiences of
fifth-graders and introducing them to university resources Finally, you’ll read about the outstanding contributions of
such as the library and science laboratories while giving two graduates who have had a major impact on the arts and
their teachers grounding in new classroom approaches. The culture of the region, and far beyond. Patti Carr Black (’55),
program has earned a Governor’s University Partnership who received the Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters
Award. at spring commencement, is an earlier recipient of the Noel
Polk Lifetime Achievement Award from the Mississippi
We’re also helping prepare teachers for transition to Institute of Arts and Letters, recognizing a career that has
the Common Core standards being adopted by the spanned tenure at the Mississippi Department of Archives
state, both through Kids ‘N College and through a new and History, as well as more recently that of a distinguished
summer institute for middle school mathematics teachers, writer and editor.
among other efforts. Dr. Richard Holden is helping
lead the institute, with a team that includes Dr. Bonnie Marchita Mauck (’64) last year received the Elbert M.
Oppenheimer of mathematics and algebra teachers from area Conover Memorial Award from the American Institute
schools. of Architects for her contributions to religious architecture.
She’s only the second woman to receive the national
You’ll see in this issue that graduates of The W are making recognition, reserved for non-architects.
a huge impact in classrooms around the state. Some, such
as Leigh Pourciau, found her calling immediately, and in just There’s a lot to celebrate at The W. Our educational
five years of teaching has been recognized by the Mississippi experience and our graduates are second to none! We think
Department of Education, which has tapped her to develop you’ll agree they’re making a huge impact in their careers.
Common Core instructional videos. She was selected from
Sincerely,
more than 3,000 applicants to be a 2013 Dream Team
member for LearnZillion. And she’s been featured in a Bill
Gates videotaped segment on effective teaching.
w w w. m u w. e d u 1
CAMPUS BRIEFS
Internship Opportunity
Mississippi University for informative, accurate and independent audit reports.
Women student Suvechhya Shresta Shresta, who was born and raised in Kathmandu, Nepal, is
garnered a $10,000 national a senior majoring in accounting with a minor in management
scholarship through the Public information systems.
Company Accounting Oversight She will graduate from The W in May 2015, with hopes of
Board, as well as a prestigious earning a certified public accountant license and specialize in
internship opportunity in forensic accounting.
Washington, D.C., this summer. This summer Shresta will intern in Washington, D.C., at
The PCAOB is a nonprofit The Washington Center Internship Program. She will work
corporation established by Congress to oversee the audits for a company called Study Sparkz at Vienna, Va., where she
of public companies in order to protect the interests of will be updating their accounting systems. Her internship fees
investors and further the public interest in the preparation of will be covered by the William Burke Leadership Award.
Scholarship Program ASN Program Re-accreditation
Anna Watson of Amory has been
The W’s Associate of Science in Nursing Program
accepted into the Mississippi Rural
has been granted continuing accreditation by the
Physicians Scholarship Program. She is
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
currently a sophomore biology major at
(ACEN) for the maximum period permitted.
The W.
The ACEN Board of Commissioners found the
The Mississippi Rural Physicians
nursing program to be in full compliance with all
Scholarship Pogram, hosted at the
accreditation standards at its March 2014 meeting and
University of Mississippi Medical Center,
scheduled its next visit in 2021.
is for students who are interested in
Six standards including 56 criteria in the areas of
becoming physicians in rural areas. Only
mission and administrative capacity; faculty and staff;
18 undergraduates are accepted into the highly competitive
students; curriculum; resources; and outcomes have to be
program.
met in order to receive continuing accreditation without
After a lengthy application and interview process, students
conditions.
can be accepted into the program after they graduate, or they
According to the latest ACEN Action Report, 80
can be accepted in the spring semester of their sophomore year.
nursing programs were visited during spring 2013. Only
If they are accepted as sophomores, they are given MCAT prep,
24 programs were in compliance with all standards.
shadowing opportunities, rural clinical experiences and funding
to assist them in medical school.
Intersessions Offered
With modern students come the need for flexible learning options. That is why for the first time, The W will offer
intersessions in August and January.
Intersessions are intensive, two-week courses and learning opportunities that provide faculty with the opportunity to offer
innovative courses and students with the ability to earn up to four hours of credit during a compressed period of time.
Also, since students will take only one class at a time, the intersessions will allow students to focus on a single course without
the demands of other courses.
2 VISIONS • summer 2014
CAMPUS BRIEFS
Music Collection Donated
A collection of more than 1,100 pieces of sheet music,
books, journals and related items have found a home at The W,
thanks to the generosity of a Columbus physician.
Dr. Paul Kantack, a retired psychiatrist, made the in-kind
donation to the Poindexter Fund to support the university’s
music program, said Angela Ferraez, director of major gifts.
“Dr. Kantack wanted to honor his wife, who was a longtime
private music instructor, including serving as piano instructor
at the Naval Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport,” she
said. Mrs. Catherine Kantack died in 2012.
Included in the collection, now housed in Poindexter Hall,
are 495 pieces of sheet music, 243 paperback books, 113 music
collections, more than 180 music textbooks, nearly 100 music also was a founding sponsor of the Martin Luther King
journals and a number of music encyclopedias and textbooks. National Memorial Project Foundation, as well as a director of
In addition to her musical accomplishments, Mrs. Kantack the National Women’s History Museum in Washington, D.C.
Art Competitions
MUW students took top honors at art competitions held including mixed media, painting, design, sculpture, ceramics,
on campus and in Jackson. digital imaging, illustration, graphic design, printmaking and
Overall Achievement awards for the students who photography.
competed in the annual Juried Student Exhibition went to MUW students also competed in the statewide Mississippi
Britney Frazier of Strayhorn (first place), Amber Jamison of Collegiate Art Competition in Jackson in February.
Biloxi (second place), Brittany Twilley of Meridian (third Eddie Strawbridge from Belden won first place in metal
place) and Dustin Vance of Oxford (honorable mention). arts. Frazier won second place for the overall jurors award.
The Juried Student Exhibition wrapped up the first week Anna Stokes of Ecru designed the winning logo for the
of March. It featured 112 works by W students, ranging from Mississippi Collegiate Art Competition.
freshmen to seniors. The W submitted 19 works with more than 167 pieces
A total of 39 awards were presented in 11 categories, being submitted from colleges throughout the state.
Specialty Car Tag The W has announced availability of a new specialty car tag, which
may be ordered from county tax assessor offices.
The university worked with the state Department of Revenue to
submit and receive approval on the design, which also carries the
university’s web address and the slogan “Long Blue Line.”
Those who have the older specialty tag may continue to use it.
As with the older tags, the new tags are available for $51 above the
current assessed value of the vehicle tag. Of that, $31.50 returns to
The W to support its programs.
For more information, see www.muw.edu/plate.
w w w. m u w. e d u 3
CAMPUS BRIEFS
New Master of Arts in Women’s Leadership to be Offered
In fall 2014, the university will offer its master of arts in of Outreach and
women’s leadership, which will give students the opportunity Innovation at The
to use knowledge of women’s issues as a force for change in W, the university
today’s world. is engaged in a
“This graduate degree will be interdisciplinary and process of defining a
although students will study theoretical backgrounds, it will leadership framework
emphasize application and experiential learning,” said Dr. that can benefit more
Bridget Smith Pieschel, director of the Center for Women’s students.
Research and Public Policy and of Women’s Studies. “At “It is an exciting
the heart of this degree is a women’s leadership practicum opportunity to
requirement. involve the business
“A commitment to improving the social, economic and community, as well
public policies supporting women is a more important as our own faculty,
admission criterion than a background in a particular staff and students,
academic discipline,” Pieschel added. in determining
The practicum will offer opportunities beyond the goals and structure going forward,” she said. “At this point,
classroom in women’s centers, businesses, non-profits, we are only limited by our imagination in the goal of broadly
community arts councils and museums, legal offices, domestic involving students in leadership development activities.”
violence shelters and more. Both an external advisory committee and an on-campus
The interdisciplinary program will provide research committee are at work to define key skill sets, as well as
opportunities and educational exposure to leadership theory, curricular and professional development opportunities in what
multiple perspectives and cross-disciplinary scholarship Brown expects to be a two-year process of developing new
modeled by faculty at The W who are already experienced programs.
researchers and writers on women’s issues in health, education, This summer, The W also hosted the second annual
law, history, literature, management, entrepreneurship, Mississippi N.E.W. (National Education for Women)
medicine and government. Leadership residential program on campus.
A subcommittee of women’s studies graduate faculty, In partnership with the John C. Stennis Center for
including at least one faculty member from the graduate Public Service, based in Starkville, N.E.W. Leadership is
program in educational leadership, will interview all applicants a nonpartisan program designed to develop foundational
to the program, will plan and develop seminars, coordinate leadership skills for college women. The national program was
course offerings, approve internship applications, thesis developed by the Center for American Women and Politics at
proposals and theses. Rutgers University and now is at 17 universities nationwide.
Applicants must meet the admissions standards set by Students enrolled in the new master’s program will be
the MUW Office of Graduate School. Students are required given the opportunity to work with existing programming at
to complete 33 graduate hours including three hours in a The W, including Mississippi N.E.W. Leadership.
practicum/field experience and three hours in a capstone Brown said the results of every university self-study over
project report/thesis. the past 25 years show that leadership development is a unique
The master of arts in women’s leadership is a part of the and valued element of a W education.
university’s overall efforts to redesign its offerings to expand “The W provides outstanding academic preparation, and
leadership training to students across disciplines and across a strong and broad-based program in leadership development
campus. will ensure our graduates have value-added skills to make
According to Dr. Kate Brown, director of the Office them stand out to future employers,” she said.
4 VISIONS • summer 2014
CAMPUS BRIEFS
100 Percent Pass Rate
The excellent quality of The W’s nursing
program was reflected in test results from 30
master’s degree nurse practitioner graduates
who took the American Academy of Nurse
Practitioners Certification Exam.
The W had a 100 percent pass rate and scored
above the national average. The W’s graduates
overall average score was 598, compared to the
national average of 583. The W also scored above
the national average in the areas of assessment and
planning.
The purpose of the American Academy Markers Refurbished
of Nurse Practitioners National Certification Thanks to the generosity of donoros to The W Fund, two historical
Program is to provide a valid and reliable program markers on The W campus have received facelifts.
for entry-level nurse practitioners to recognize The markers are located in front of Whitfield Hall and Demonstration
their education, knowledge and professional School and date back to 1950 and 1991, respectively.
expertise. The Academy Certification Program Dewey Blansett, director of facilities management, said their office
provides a process for validation of an advanced worked with the Mississippi Department of Archives and History on this
practice nurse’s qualification and knowledge for project.
practice as a nurse practitioner. The AANP exam Both markers feature gold leaf writing and were refurbished by
is offered year round at testing centers throughout Sewah Studios, a manufacturer of cast aluminum historic markers, out of
the nation. Marietta, Ohio.
‘Rivers’ Prequel
Widely praised by readers and critics, Michael Farris
Smith’s debut novel, “Rivers,” will continue its story of a
hurricane-ravaged Mississippi with a prequel, also to be
published by Simon & Schuster.
The associate professor of English at The W has been
commissioned to continue his account of a post-apocalyptic
Mississippi as an e-book single, which will help launch the
publisher’s new imprint, Simon451 (pages.simonandschuster.
com/simon451). The 8-10,000-word piece will appear this fall.
“Rivers” imagines a world of never-ending hurricanes
that have devastated the Mississippi Gulf Coast, causing the
government to abandon everything below a line 90 miles north
Hands of Strangers,” as an e-book, which will be available
of the battered region.
this year. Meanwhile, he also is contracted with Silver
“The prequel will probably deal with the days surrounding
Lake Entertainment (www.silverlake-ent.com), a literary
the declaration of The Line,” Smith said.
management and production company, to develop screenplays.
Simon & Schuster also is reissuing Smith’s novella, “The
For more information, visit www.michaelfarrissmith.com.
w w w. m u w. e d u 5
McCoy receives Kossen Faculty Excellence Award
Dr. Tammie McCoy, department chair of the Bachelor
of Science in Nursing Program at Mississippi University for
Women, was honored with the 2014 Kossen Faculty Excellence
Award at the university’s commencement activities.
The award, which includes a $5,000 stipend, recognizes the
role of faculty as the heart of the university. It was established
in 2004 by Connie Kossen, a 1964 alumna of MUW, and her
husband Tom.
The award is based on three fundamentals: excellence
in teaching, excellence in scholarly or artistic achievement
and excellence in service, preferably both on campus and in
communities throughout MUW’s service area. Further, to be
considered for this award, a faculty member must exhibit a Connie Kossen and Dr. Tammie McCoy
commitment to student success in each of these three areas of
and friends of the university who have achieved professional
responsibility.
distinction and made significant community service contributions
Dr. Sheila Adams, dean of the College of Nursing and
at the local, national and/or international level, bringing
Speech-Language Pathology, said, “Dr. McCoy is a meritorious
distinction and honor to the university.
tenured professor of nursing at The W who has consistently
She has been involved with community service during her
exhibited excellence in teaching and advising, in scholarly
entire nursing career. In 2012, she served as president of the
achievement, and in service both on campus and in communities
Mississippi Federation of Women’s Clubs, an organization that
throughout The W’s service area.”
helps to improve communities through volunteer service.
In 2013, McCoy was named one of the top 20 medical and
Some of the other projects McCoy has been involved with
nursing professors in Mississippi by Online Schools Mississippi.
in Mississippi include breast cancer awareness and prevention,
She was honored as Mississippi Community Service Nurse of
raising funds for mammograms, teaching students to read,
the Year for her breast cancer awareness outreach and community
promoting summer reading programs, proper utilization
literacy campaigns through the Nightingale Awards in Jackson.
of seatbelts and providing immunizations for students.
She also helps nursing students prepare for their own community
Internationally she has worked to provide immunizations for
engagements as head of the BSN department.
children in third world countries.
Sally-Anne Tiernan, senior BSN student, said, “Dr. Tammie
McCoy and her fellow club members worked across the
McCoy has shown great compassion and care for the students
state to implement Dr. McCoy’s President’s Special Project,
in the BSN program. Personally, she showed sympathy and
“Feeding Fellow Mississippians,” which focused on ways to
understanding when my husband underwent heart surgery in my
help individuals across the life span have adequate food. As
junior year, working with my fellow faculty members to ensure I
part of this project she worked with food banks in canned food
did not fall behind.”
drives, with local church organizations in feeding initiatives,
McCoy was the recipient of the Distinguished Achievement
with schools and weekend backpack programs and with ways to
Award last year as well. The award is presented to alumni
identify and help Mississippian’s with basic food needs.
6 VISIONS • summer 2014
Faculty Member of the Year Capstone Project Accepted
Mary Jo Kirkpatrick, chair of Dr. Shonda Phelon, a graduate
Mississippi University for Women’s of MUW’s Doctorate of Nursing
Associate of Science in Nursing Practice program and an instructor
program, was named Faculty of nursing at The W, presented her
Member of the Year. capstone project, “Suicide Assessment
The Faculty Member of the and Prevention: A Clinical Practice
Year Award, which includes an Guideline for Primary Care,” at two
award in the amount of $1,000, national conferences.
is an honor bestowed upon the The National Nurse Practitioner
faculty member who, above all, Symposium tapped Dr. Phelon for
values quality teaching. The a poster presentation at Keystone,
individual selected is truly a symbol Colo., and she will discuss her project
of MUW’s highly regarded faculty. in a podium presentation at the
MUW’s Star and Scepter American Psychiatric Nurses Association at Indianapolis, Ind., in
Chapter of Mortar Board and the MUW Alumni Association, October.
which provides a generous $1,000 award, jointly recognize the She has 22 years of experience working as a family nurse
Faculty Member of the Year. A faculty portrait will be placed practitioner and eight years as a psychiatrist nurse practitioner.
with other awardees’ photographs on the walls of Whitfield Hall. As a psychiatrist nurse practitioner, she observed a disconnect
Kirkpatrick was recently named Nursing Administrator of between mental health care and primary health care.
the Year at the annual Nightingale Awards sponsored by the Her capstone project focuses on integrating open dialogue
Mississippi Nurses’ Association and the Mississippi Nurses’ about mental health between practitioners and patients, with the
Foundation. hope that patients with mental health issues will be evaluated
A faculty member at The W for 38 years, she has served without having to be transferred to counseling or for psychiatric
as head of the program since 1991, leading it through three treatment, if the problem can be handled by a practitioner.
successful accreditation processes and three major curriculum Phelon hopes her project will create a seamless transition
revisions. The W’s ASN program was the first associate degree from primary health care to mental health care and that the
program in Mississippi to achieve national accreditation status. presentations will keep the discussion about suicide and suicide
National licensure rates since its inception are 98.5 percent. prevention alive.
NEH Summer Scholar
Dr. Erin Kempker, professor of history Kempker was one of 25 scholars at the institute whose role
at The W, was recently selected as a National was to learn all they could and bring what they learned back to
Endowment for the Humanities Summer their respective campuses and communities to disseminate.
Scholar. She was chosen from a national applicant pool to attend
As a participant, she attended the one of 30 seminars and institutes supported by NEH. The
summer institute supported by the NEH, endowment is a federal agency that, each summer, supports these
which focused on “Finding Mississippi enrichment opportunities at colleges, universities and cultural
in the National Civil Rights Narrative: institutions, so that faculty can work in collaboration and study
Struggle, Institution Building, and Power at with experts in humanities disciplines.
the Local Level. The three-week program was held in Jackson.
w w w. m u w. e d u 7
Nursing Recognized at Nightingale Awards Ceremony
The nursing program at Mississippi University for Women
received two significant honors in Jackson.
The annual Nightingale Awards honor outstanding nurses
and health care professionals, as well as organizations that have
made a special effort to excel in healthcare.
The W’s College of Nursing was recognized as the School
of Nursing of the Year. This is the second time that The W’s
program has received this recognition since the Nightingale
Awards were started in 2006. The program last fall celebrated
its 40th year and in December graduated the first class of a
recently launched Doctorate of Nursing Practice degree. It is
the only nursing program in the state that provides degrees Estelle Watt, Dr. Jim Borsig and Dr. Sheila Adams
from the associate of science in nursing through the DNP.
Mary Jo Kirkpatrick, chair of The W’s ASN program, was
named Nursing Administrator of the Year. A faculty member
at The W for 38 years, she has served as head of the program
since 1991, leading it through three successful accreditation
processes and three major curriculum revisions. The W’s ASN
program was the first associate degree program in Mississippi
to achieve national accreditation status. National licensure rates
since its inception are 98.5 percent.
Kirkpatrick has served as president of the Mississippi
Organization for Associate Degree Nursing and was the first
chair of the Mississippi Council of Associate Degree Nursing
Programs. She currently is a member of the Methodist/ Dr. Tonya Moore and Mary Jo Kirkpatrick
LeBonheur Healthcare Board of Directors and chairs the
board’s Quality and Safety Committee. Since its founding in 1971, the college has produced
Dr. Sheila Adams, dean of the college, said that she’s about 5,400 graduates who have successfully moved into
particularly proud of the recognition from a distinguished the workforce, she added. An online RN to BSN program,
group of peers. “We have worked hard to build our program launched in 1982, provides a pathway for working registered
around the needs of our region and our state, and we know nurses to earn a bachelor’s degree. More than 440 students are
that our graduates excel in all fields of nursing. Our faculty are enrolled in the program, up from approximately 200 in 2009.
committed to our students’ success.” The annual awards gala, also known as the “Academy
MUW President Jim Borsig added, “The nursing Award” of quality service in the nursing and health care
program at The W has demonstrated its ability to innovate industry, is sponsored by the Mississippi Nurses’ Association
in delivering the highest quality educational standards for and the Mississippi Nurses’ Foundation. There were 47
nursing professionals. Graduates of our nursing program have nominees from around the state for the 2014 awards. More
the highest pass rate in the state on the national licensure than 600 nursing professionals, leaders and supporters gather
exam. We’re very proud of these honors that recognize the to honor award winners and their contributions to the nursing
contributions of the faculty and staff of the college.” profession.
8 VISIONS • summer 2014Ward Presents Award
Dr. James D. Ward, professor of political science at The W, presented the Equal
Opportunity-Affirmative Action Exemplary Practice award to United States Congressman
John Lewis in Washington, D.C.
The American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) gives this award to individuals
and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to a more equal society.
Ward, who served as chair of the selection committee, said, “Congressman Lewis, along
with his compassion, sacrifice and commitment to social justice, epitomizes the standards
upon which the award was established.”
Ward has served on the ASPA National Council since 2011 and has been responsible for
assisting in the governance of the organization by participating in policy decisions at annual Dr. James Ward and Rep. John Lewis
meetings and leadership retreats.
Faculty Awards New General Counsel
The Mississippi University for Women Alumni Association A 2002 graduate of MUW was
applauded faculty members’ work inside and outside of the named general counsel for the
classroom at Homecoming 2014 Convocation. university.
Faculty awards were presented to Wesley Garrett, New Karen Gwinn Clay, a magna
Faculty Award, and Drs. Nora Corrigan and Deborah Miranda, cum laude graduate of Mississippi
Faculty Enhancement Grant winners. College School of Law, assumed
The New Faculty Award rewards the hard work of a newer the position vacated by Perry
faculty member in supporting the academic mission of The W. Sansing, who currently serves
as associate counsel for the
University of Mississippi.
Smith Co-authors Book While in law school, Clay was executive editor of Law
A record amount of money was spent Review and was on the Moot Court Board. She also
in the 2012 presidential and congressional received the Betty B. Tucker Award for Professionalism
elections, and Dr. Melissa Smith expects a and was named the overall winner in the Copeland Cook
record amount to be raised in the 2016 as Taylor & Bush Moot Court Competition. At MC, she has
well. served as an adjunct professor, teaching issues and concepts
Smith, assistant professor in The W’s of personnel manager.
Department of Communication, examines Clay has held professional positions as an associate with
the role of money in U.S. politics in her Watkins, Ludlam, Winter & Stennis; Jones Walker; and
new book “Dark Money, Super PACs, and the 2012 Election,” The Kullman Firm. In addition, she has served as a pro
co-written with Larry Powell of the University of Alabama at bono volunteer with the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers
Birmingham. It is published by Lexington Books. Project and Mission First.
Research in her book was done through analysis of mass- In addition to the juris doctor, she holds a master’s
media news reports about campaign finances, financial in college student personnel from the University of
reports filed by Super PACs and 501(c)(4) groups, analysis of Tennessee.
organizations that track spending of outside political groups, Clay is a member of the Mississippi Bar Association, the
Supreme Court decisions and other published reports regarding Federal Bar Association, the Capitol Area Bar Association
the raising and spending of money during the federal election. and the American Inns of Court, Charles Clark Chapter.
w w w. m u w. e d u 9Marchita Mauck’s lifetime contributions to design
by Maridith Walker Geuder
M
archita Mauck, a Columbus native, There, while teaching
entered The W in 1960 with the liturgical art and
intention of becoming an English history classes, she
and history major, a goal she was asked to lend her
pursued until her junior year. It was then she was expertise to designing
assigned a student worker job in the art department ritual spaces. “That’s
and crossed paths with Professor Mary Evelyn how it began,” she
Stringer. That meeting changed the course of her recalled.
career—and her life. Since then, in
“I took art history, and I was really interested addition to teaching
in it,” she recalled 50 years later. Luckily, Stringer for more than 46
was interested in the promising art student years at LSU, she’s
as well. “She encouraged me to apply for been a national and
a Fulbright—which I got,” Mauck said. international consultant on the design of sacred
“I spent 1964-65 in the Netherlands spaces, as well as becoming an internationally
studying at the University of Utrecht.” recognized expert. Her lifetime efforts were
Her academic path had honored last year by the American Institute
changed forever. She followed her of Architects, when the national organization
undergraduate studies at The W with presented her its Elbert M. Conover Memorial
a master’s degree at Tulane University Award for her contributions to religious
and began teaching at Louisiana State architecture.
University. “At that time, you could “The award is given every other year as a career
teach university-level courses with a achievement award to a non-architect,” Mauck
master’s degree, so I commuted to New explained, adding that she’s the second woman to
Orleans to work on a doctorate receive the distinction.
in medieval studies,” Mauck For Mauck, though, the real honor lies not
said. in awards but in the significance of her work.
While writing her Drawing on theology, anthropology, sociology,
dissertation, Mauck psychology, and history, she explores designs
identified issues in liturgical based in historical precedent and interprets them
history that intrigued for contemporary spaces. The idea, she says, is
her. Her interest led to for people to “experience ritual in a way that is
the University of Notre transformative. I look at the human dimension
Dame, where she pursued of experience and ask ‘what makes the experience
another master’s degree. memorable?’”
10 VISIONS • summer 2014Photos from St. Jean Vianney in Baton Rouge, La.
She recalls a church in which the design placed a tomb- The love of design and language merge for Mauck in
shaped font in the narthex. She remembers watching as works she has authored, including “Shaping a House for the
family and friends arrived for a funeral service, observing Church” and “Places for Worship: A Guide to Building and
that individuals gathered around the font and spontaneously Renovating.” The former has been adopted by a variety of
dipped their hands in the water. “It was an unprompted and denominations, including Lutheran, Catholic and Episcopal.
powerful gesture,” she said. To Mauck, that’s the beauty of a She also provided the introduction for “Sacred Light: Holy
design that inspires authentic response. Places in Louisiana,” with photographs by A.J. Meek, and
Among the hundreds of designs she’s consulted on— “Historic Baton Rouge Architecture,” with photographs by
including those in places as diverse as Columbus and Pat Caldwell and Jim Frasier. In addition, Mauck curated
Germany—one of her favorite is still St. Jean Vianney, a “Treasures of LSU,” published by LSU Press in 2010.
Catholic church in her longtime home of Baton Rouge. “It Coinciding with the sesquicentennial of the university, the
is a contemporary church with powerful spaces,” she said. book features more than 100 significant artworks and artifacts,
Dedicated in 1998, the church has received more than 18 some of which had not previously been identified, Mauck said.
awards for “the boldness and simplicity” of its design, which Now professor emeritus at LSU, Mauck has previously
includes bronze sculptures by California artist Max DeMoss. taught at Yale Divinity School, the University of Notre Dame,
To Mauck, her many contributions aren’t that far afield and the Chicago Theological Union as visiting professor.
from her early interest in English and history. “There’s poetry After her formal retirement, she continues to teach occasional
in all of it,” she said, “the text, the power of ritual language. courses at LSU and to consult. A Golden Girl in 2014, the
The language aspect is splendid.” former student of Stringer is still busy, still learning, and still
sharing her talent.
w w w. m u w. e d u 11by Anika Mitchell Perkins
Teachers gear up for Common Core at summer institute
ommon Core is coming to a school near you this fall, learn so that teachers and parents know how to help
and teachers, students and parents are entering new them. The goal is to provide appropriate academic
territory. benchmarks for all students, regardless of where they
In August, Mississippi will join 44 other states live.
that will teach the Common Core education This summer The W hosted a four-week institute
standards designed to have consistent and clear on campus focused on Common Core Mathematics.
educational goals in math and English for students The institute was made possible through a
across the country. grant secured by Holden to assist middle school
“It (Common Core) is being implemented this mathematics teachers in developing technology-
year, whether we like or not, and we want them rich, instructional lessons, strategies and activities
(teachers) to like it,” said Dr. Richard Holden, that support implementation of the new CCSS for
professor of education at Mississippi University for mathematics.
Women. “After the grant was written and approved, I
Adopted in Mississippi in 2010, Common Core notified the other three instructors to begin planning
State Standards (CCSS) provide a consistent, clear for the institute. All of us have received training or
understanding of what students are expected to professional development on Common Core but that
12 VISIONS • summer 2014training is ongoing and much of it is through independent
study from sources readily available on the Web,” he said.
Holden’s team of instructors included Dr. Bonnie
Oppenheimer, associate department chair and professor of
mathematics; Lindsay Harrison Miller, Algebra I teacher at
New Hope High School; and Tiffany Phinisey, pre-algebra
teacher at West Lowndes Middle School.
As part of the institute, 19 participants received
additional training on technology hardware items such as
the Promethean interactive whiteboard, classroom response
systems and mathematics applications for mobile devices.
Also, there was instruction on TI-Nspire graphing calculators
in solving functions problems and graphing equations.
Miller, who teaches ninth graders, said she was excited to be
sharing her knowledge with other educators.
“The TI-Nspire calculator allows teachers to send questions
to all students to evaluate learning of a new concept or a skill
that has been previously taught,” she said. “The software allows
Miller with the TI-Nspire graphic calculator
teachers to show responses and discuss any misconceptions
that the students may have when approaching a problem.” techniques to keep my students interested and informed and
Miller added that students love real-world application. make it relevant to them,” she said.
“This device allows the teacher to bring multiple presentations Simeon Weatherby, who teaches ninth through 12th grade
of real world situations and put it in the students’ hands while math at West Lowndes, added, “This institute is giving me
in the classroom.” an advantage on Common Core, and it will give me different
An example she provided was graphing quadratics and strategies that I can implement in the classroom.”
shooting a basketball, where students are able to model a Holden said, “I can only assume the participants will hope
basketball’s flight through the air using a quadratic function. to gain a sense of confidence and feeling of preparedness as
Arrica Chandler Smith is one of the teachers participating in the state fully implements the Common Core State Standards
the institute. Smith teaches seventh and eighth grade math at this coming school year.
B.F. Liddell Middle School in Noxubee County. “I’m sure they will be looking to leave the institute with
“I want to gain more knowledge about Common concrete lesson plans, activities and ideas on how to present
Core since it will be implemented in the school and learn and clarify mathematical concepts.
w w w. m u w. e d u 13Culture and university experience merge in Kids ’N College program
by Anika Mitchell Perkins
K
yla Norwood is familiar with the term Nagi, are veterans of the program, first entering it
‘namaste’—the way of greeting another in as kindergartners. The fifth-graders have had an
the Indian Hindu culture. The 11-year-old opportunity to visit different parts of the world and
also can you tell you a thing or two about experience college by traveling just a few blocks away
saris, a drape commonly worn by women of India, from home.
Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. “I like how we are able to compare and contrast
On this day, Norwood is among some 50 elementary different cultures,” Norwood said, referring to her lesson
students learning about the Indian culture in the heart about the Indian culture. “When we (in America) think
of Columbus on the historical campus of Mississippi about karma, we think in terms of bad luck. When
University for Women. they think of karma, it could mean you coming back in
Norwood is a student in the Kids ’N College another life as an ant or a king.”
program, a partnership formed between The W’s College In addition to learning about other cultures, the
of Education & Human Sciences and Sale International students are also being exposed to the university
Studies Magnet Elementary School in the fall of 2009. experience with The W being the first time for some of
She and her classmate, 11-year-old Hezam them to ever step onto a college campus.
14 VISIONS • summer 2014w w w. m u w. e d u 15
Nagi has been able to dine in the university’s cafeteria and “Success Weeks” or weeks between academic sessions for both
create a mock class schedule and then walk from building to remediation and enrichment. A greater idea influencing their
building to see what it would be like as a college student. thoughts and decisions was that the students (88 percent of
He was most intrigued with the size of the campus that is whom were eligible for free or reduced lunch) in their Title I
situated on about 114 acres. “I didn’t expect it to be this big,” school needed to experience learning outside their own school
Nagi said. “I did not know you could live on campus.” walls. Their vision--to take their students to experience the
Kay Ellis, media specialist and International Baccalaureate greater world. Ideas began to form and they reached out to Dr.
coordinator at Sale, said these are the hands-on activities that Sue Jolly-Smith, education department chair at The W at the
cannot be explained to a student. time.
“So many of them live in Columbus and don’t understand “Could they bring their students to the MUW campus for
what The W is. It gives them the motivation they need,” Ellis these Success Days and could MUW bring education majors
said, noting that some of the students will be first-generation to the Sale campus to reach out to work on remediation for
college students. “They get to see a dorm room. It’s a real hard those students who needed increased support?” were questions
concept to explain to an elementary student.” that were asked, explained Dr. Jolly-Smith.
As long as any of them could remember, the university and
In the Beginning the Columbus schools had partnered in the preparation of
Former Sale Principal Nancy Bragg and Ellis had ideas future teachers, but this would involve something new. From
about what learning should involve for the elementary that initial meeting in July 2009, the vision grew into reality
students under their leadership. when the first Sale Kids ‘N College group of 85 students came
The school was notified about its MDE “Academic Watch” to The W the fall of 2009.
Accountability status for the 2008-2009 academic year. At the Just two years ago the program was recognized by the
same time, administrators and faculty accepted the challenge Mississippi Association of Partners with the Governor’s
from then superintendent Del Phillips that it was declared an University Partnership Award. The Kids ’N College program
international studies magnet school, moving toward approval is now under the direction of Dr. Monica Riley, education
by the International Baccalaureate World Organization and it department chair.
had elected to participate in an extended school year calendar.
As part of the extended school year, they wanted to use Moving Forward
Over the course of the program, there have been some
minor tweaks. The program has gone from three weeks to two
weeks, which are focused on academics, according to Riley.
She coordinates the campus activities, which have ranged from
cooking in the culinary school to interviewing the president.
“MUW candidates plan lessons based on common core
state standards that enhance required learning for the K12
schools,” she said. “Activities are hands-on and activity based.
Students still have opportunity to learn about campus
through a campus tour.”
Participants have toured the campus library, which
is larger than their school; boarded a boat to learn about
archaeology and wildlife; and used a microscope to
examine water samples pulled from the river.
Riley recalls one of the boys saying, “I never knew
what I wanted to be but now I know I want to go to
college here.”
Jonathan Latham
16 VISIONS • summer 2014 and Emerald HemphillNagi Norwood
“It makes all of the planning worth it,” she added. “A lot of allows them to practice what they have been learning in class
these children don’t have a concept of college. Early on, they and prepares them for Teacher Internship when they will be
learn that college is doable as part of this program.” expected to teach for the entire day.”
Jolly-Smith said, “One of the most significant results has
Everybody Wins been something not fully anticipated nor easily quantified: the
There’s no question that all involved with the partnership feeling of ownership and pride that both groups feel for the
believe it is a win-win situation. Sale students feel a sense other entity. This ownership makes this a true partnership and
of ownership when they pass by The W’s Clock Tower, and one worthy of recognition.”
the university teacher candidates bond with the elementary MUW alumna Kimberly Long, principal at Sale, said their
students and gain invaluable experiences that could only be Success Weeks involve a lot of teamwork and cooperation
learned in the classroom. between the two entities.
MUW students in their Senior Block plan lessons for the “The Kids ’N College program ties into what we are doing
elementary school students. Some of the ED 302, The Art and as an IB school and it falls in line what we are teaching daily,”
Science of Teaching, students are placed at Sale Elementary she said. “This is definitely a partnership we want to continue
with the intent of their working with the elementary students in the future.
who do not get to come to campus,” Riley explained. An “This is a rich environment that we are exposing them to—
average of 20 students per semester from ED 302 have a field being able to experience college and campus life,” she added.
experience at Sale. Ellis said another important lesson the Sale students learn
The students gain by having to plan and implement lessons is giving back.
with elementary school children for a sustained period of time “The children find wonderful ways to give to say thank
before moving into teacher internship. They have to adjust you,” she said. “It’s about giving back to the world regardless of
lessons as needed as they implement,” Riley said. “They learn what you have. Giving back is a real important piece of what
the importance of flexibility in teaching as schedules change… they have learned.”
buses are early or late, etc. It is a ‘real world’ experience that
w w w. m u w. e d u 17by Maridith Walker Geuder
Leigh Pourciau gains recognition for her classroom skills
I
f you want to be inspired, Leigh Pourciau’s classroom at
Germantown Middle School in Madison is the place to be.
Students lucky enough to find themselves there often are
surprised by their own talent as they grow in confidence and
competence.
The 2008 English education graduate has rapidly become a
teaching star, both with her students and with a larger audience.
She developed the school’s first-ever creative writing program and
online literary magazine, in the process creating a curriculum so
popular some students have returned to her elective class for the
third year.
The Mississippi Department of Education has tapped Pourciau
to develop Common Core writing lessons and instructional videos
to be used statewide. She’s been selected from more than 3,000
applicants to be a 2013 Dream Team member for LearnZillion—a
group of “extraordinary” teachers from around the nation who
develop and share teaching approaches. And, she’s featured in a
videotaped segment on Gates Notes, philanthropist Bill Gates’
blog.
How did she gain such visibility in just five years of teaching?
“I say ‘yes’ to everything,” the Louisiana native laughed. “In a new
profession, you have to overload yourself,” she believes. “You’re
always a learner. You’re never an expert.”
18 VISIONS • summer 2014She learns because she reads, absorbs, incorporates, What good teachers do
questions. . . and more than anything, has fun. Her love of “Every student can learn,” Pourciau believes. “I believe in
learning is contagious. relevance. My responsibility is to figure out why they’re not
On display outside her classroom are samples of student learning if they’re not. I try to start them where they are and
efforts from a variety of writing assignments. They prompt find things that hit the middle school target.”
fledgling writers to use imagery, specific structures, and Her students come from a variety of demographic
ingenuity to fulfill the assignment. Among them, “Just backgrounds. But inside her eighth-grade room on a
Because I’m From Mississippi. . . .” deflates a variety of particular day, they blend seamlessly. She moves from desk to
stereotypes; two-sentence horror stories create an eerie scene desk, encouraging, answering questions, reminding students
using precise language and vivid images; and “an original of tips to improve the poem they’re working on during the
protest song” allows students to articulate a message around a hands-on assignment. She smiles, laughs, jokes, corrects, gently
predefined format. prods. It’s obvious the students love her.
These aren’t boring assignments. The posted examples show On this day, they’re using a published poem as a prototype
think-outside-the-box creativity and talent. They’re amazingly and revising their own poems, begun in an earlier class period.
good. The example is written by a former high school classmate
w w w. m u w. e d u 19of Pourciau’s and celebrates her home state of Louisiana. Next, she projects a writing sample with sentence fluency.
Students are challenged to use a favorite place—“your One sentence is short. Following it, there’s a longer sentence,
grandmother’s house, the deer camp, the football field, the complete with a phrase or two. An excellent example of
beach,” a place where they can provide vivid details about the sentences with variety and liveliness, this writing is much more
people, the sayings, the taste, the sounds, and the weather. interesting. The slinky stays still with each short sentence,
They are bringing to life a location important to them. “Don’t moving a greater distance with longer sentences. The goal is to
just write words,” Pourciau tells them. “Write music.” have a variety of slinky movements.
Next, Pourciau asks students to read their own poems aloud
The slinky experiment to another student they’re paired with. They use the slinky to
What students are actually learning that day is sentence visually gauge sentence fluency. It’s easily apparent if there’s a
fluency, a term Pourciau doesn’t hesitate to use as she discusses need to continue revising, incorporating both long and short
their writing. But with her typical energy, she makes it fun. sentences.
As students work, Pourciau moves quietly around the room, As they read aloud for sound and rhythm, she also
placing a plastic slinky on each desk. “Don’t touch it,” she encourages students to ask other questions. Did they overuse
tells them as they eye the neon-colored toy. When students words? Did they leave a word out? Could they use a different,
reach the end of the allotted time to revise, she instructs them more specific word? Her approach calls for sight, sound, and
to watch her read as text is projected at the front of the room. feedback.
She holds the end of a slinky in each hand.
Each sentence is short. Each sentence begins with a ‘The W’ is everything
subject. Each subject is followed by a verb. Each sentence is A visual person, Pourciau says she likes to use “the tangible
predictable. Each sentence is boring. As she reads, Pourciau and visible. I figure out every way to be interactive.” She says
holds the slinky and shows students that it doesn’t move. she learned her teaching approach at The W by “watching
There’s no sentence variety. teachers I liked and modeling myself after them. The W is
20 VISIONS • summer 2014everything in my teaching,” she said. In particular, she
remembers the lasting influence of English professors
such as Dr. Bridget Pieschel and Dr. Gloria Bunnell. “I
learned to make things happen.”
A risk-taker herself, Pourciau has encouraged her
students to take writing risks such as entering contests
sponsored by the New York Times. The latest nationwide
student competition required they submit a 450-word
opinion piece, arguing a thesis persuasively. Their topics
ranged from whether Mississippi should change the state
flag to whether competitive sports benefit youngsters,
among others. They earlier had proved their abilities to
stretch themselves—and reinforced their teacher’s faith
in their skills—by earning three honorable mentions
when they entered a New York Times competition to do
a 2013 recap rap.
Part of Pourciau’s teaching approach is to give herself
the same writing assignments she gives her students. “I
always write everything they write,” she said. She also
encourages students to read, believing “it’s hard to make
an artificial writer from someone who doesn’t read.”
For an independent reading assignment in another
class, accelerated English, students are exploring
books such as J.D. Salinger’s classic, “The Catcher in
The Rye,” Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and
Nigerian author Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart.”
“They could select any book worthy of a college-bound
experience,” Pourciau said.
Discovering that her creative writing students knew
very little about the city of Jackson’s history in the Civil
Rights movement, Pourciau introduced reading about
Freedom Riders and the surrounding times. In every
sense of the word, her class is an exploration.
At the end of the school year, Pourciau looked ahead
to a bittersweet transition in her career. After five years
of building a program and forging many bonds, she
prepared to return to Louisiana and begin teaching
duties at Kipp Believe College Prep in New Orleans.
“This has been a dream of mine,” she said.
As she anticipated her new role, she was excited that
she would take a tangible symbol of her alma mater with
her. “Homerooms are identified by the teacher’s college
or university,” she explained. “The W will be on my
door.”
w w w. m u w. e d u 21An Artist,
Recognized
The W’s Patti Carr Black receives honorary doctorate of humane letters
by Maridith Walker Geuder
D
uring her junior year of high school in Sumner, In Sumner, she had gained some notoriety as an
a small Mississippi Delta hamlet, Patti Carr artist, primarily from drawing Halloween illustrations on
Black could count her classmates by using less storefront windows. “I wanted to major in art,” she said.
than 10 fingers. When the county schools consolidated Two professors had a lasting impact on her interest—
the following year as West Tallahatchie High School, Mary Evelyn Stringer and Eugenia Summer. “They
her 1951 graduating class was 30 students. were very encouraging,” Black said. Thanks in part to
For college, she recalls, there were just two choices. their influence, she never lost the love of art.
“My family wanted me to go to Blue Mountain College The W, she said, was “a very exhilarating experience
because I had relatives there. I was happy to go to The for a small-town person. I loved the stir and the
W. It was a good choice for me.” atmosphere. We had so many doors opened for us—
In many ways, her professors and her studies in social activities, academics, friendships. It was all fun.”
Columbus would influence more than five decades of But, as she quickly discovered, she wasn’t really a
accomplishments that were to follow. very good artist. She began to look at other options as
22 VISIONS • summer 2014You can also read
