Browsing: People

The sounds of the Chinese pipa take center stage as The University of Southern Mississippi Wind Ensemble welcomes acclaimed performer and composer Gao Hong for “Horizons,” the featured program in its October band series.

When a 12-foot, 4-inch alligator jumped out of the water, Zoe Pell realized the hunt this year would be much different from the year before. 

As fall approaches and I prepare to make my annual batch of oyster shell pumpkins, I find myself thinking about where all of this started.

Like most children, I loved making things. I grew up on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, spending my childhood on the water and making trips out to the barrier islands. I was always collecting shells and other little pieces of the Coast that I could carry home and turn into something new.

History is often measured in big moments, but those moments usually begin with one person stepping into a place no one quite like them has occupied before.

Mississippi is celebrating an extraordinary achievement: four women from across the state earned national and international titles at the 2026 International Women of Service and American Women of Service competitions. Together, the delegates captured three International Women of Service titles and one American Women of Service title. Each represented communities across Mississippi while demonstrating a shared commitment to leadership, volunteerism, and service.

The University of Southern Mississippi Alumni Association will induct seven alumni who bring favor and distinction to the University into its Hall of Fame during Homecoming festivities this fall.

Dolly Parton gave the world a lifetime of music, but one of her greatest legacies arrived quietly—in mailboxes belonging to children.

The legacy of Mississippi State’s first African American student, Dr. Richard E. Holmes, now is marked permanently on the campus of the 148-year-old land-grant institution.

They say two heads are better than one, but for one couple, there is power in numbers. From the meeting at Tougaloo College in the computer lab when checking messages on MySpace to today, both having earned doctoral degrees in education, the two been inseparable and have pushed each other to new heights.

When she reflects on her career, Jessica Rabb is quick to clarify: Biology may be what she teaches, but teaching itself is her true calling.

A mother-daughter duo from Blue Springs, Mississippi, is fulfilling their dream – one cup of coffee at a time. But for Heather and Cierra Goad, the coffee is just a means to an end: serving and ministering to each customer who comes to the window of their mobile Cup of Faith coffee truck.

There is something pretty special about seeing a childhood spark turn into a plan for the future.
For Collin Murphy, that spark happened years ago inside Chevron FABLAB Jackson County.

For Keisha Green, earning a Southeast Emmy Award is more than a career milestone. It is a reminder of the journey that began at The University of Southern Mississippi and the experiences that helped shape her career in television.

As another football season approaches, there is a growing sense of excitement surrounding Southwest Mississippi Community College as the Bears prepare to build on the foundation established during Head Coach Les George’s first season.

Twenty-four years after graduation from Moss Point High School, Ryan Upshaw has returned home to Moss Point with a new title along with experience in higher education and is ready to support local families with their higher educational needs.

August 29 is a date Ricky Mathews will never forget.
For thousands of Mississippians, it is the same.