Dr. Joe Paul, president of The University of Southern Mississippi (USM), has received the Service Member Patriot Award, presented by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) to patriotic employers during a ceremony on March 14 at the Center for Military Veterans, Service Members and Families on the Southern Miss Hattiesburg campus.
Given to supervisors who provide direct support to service members, the Patriot Award reflects the efforts made to support citizen warriors. Second Lieutenant Sawyer Walters, platoon leader with Delta Company of the 150th Brigade Engineer Battalion and development officer for the USM Foundation, nominated Paul for the award.
“I nominated Dr. Paul for the ESGR Patriot Award because of his unwavering support for our service members, along with his commitment to creating a workplace that values and uplifts those who serve,” said Walters. “His leadership at The University of Southern Mississippi has fostered an environment where military personnel, veterans and their families feel truly appreciated and supported. Dr. Paul exemplifies the spirit of the Patriot Award through his dedication to those who dedicate themselves to our country.”
In January 2024, the university and the National Guard Bureau signed an agreement to establish the Center for the Study of the National Guard on the Southern Miss campus. The center will serve as a central repository for archival materials and oral histories and function as an international-level resource for the study of the Guard’s past, present and future. An additional agreement was signed in February 2025 during a ceremony at the Mississippi Armed Forces Museum at Camp Shelby solidifying the relationship between the university, the center and the Mississippi National Guard.
“I am proud of our university’s support of military veterans, their families, and active duty, reserve and guardsmen,” said Paul. “We lead the state and have been recognized as a top university in the nation for our support of military families who enroll with us. It is a great honor for me to receive this award on behalf of our institution, and I remain ever committed to the recruitment, support and success of military men and women who study and work at Southern Miss.”
Walters highlighted Paul’s leadership in strengthening Southern Miss’s partnership with the National Guard, particularly through the establishment of the Center for the Study of the National Guard and commitment to preserving the legacy of servicemen and women.
“Dr. Paul lives by his motto to ‘leave Southern Miss better than you found it,’ and his steadfast support for the military community is a testament to that philosophy,” Walters said. “This philosophy is how I lead my soldiers and serve my country, and I am proud and honored for this award to be bestowed upon such a great mentor.”