Former Governor Haley Barbour speaks during the inauguration of Chancellor Dan Jones. UM photo by Robert Jordan.
OXFORD, Miss. – The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning has approved naming the Center for Manufacturing Excellence at the University of Mississippi in honor of former Gov. Haley Barbour.
The proposal to name the facility for Barbour was presented during the board’s regular monthly meeting, which was conducted Thursday (March 15) on the Oxford campus. An official dedication ceremony is scheduled for 2 p.m. Oct. 18 in front of the building on the university’s Circle.
“The concept of the Center for Manufacturing Excellence was conceived by Gov. Barbour,” said James Vaughan, CME director. “This concept is based on interdisciplinary educational opportunities within an innovative academic learning model that will provide our students with practical experiences, fundamental knowledge and creative practices needed to lead the world of modern manufacturing.”
Other UM officials are pleased with the board’s decision.
“It is a privilege for the university and a personal privilege for me to move forward with this naming,” Chancellor Dan Jones said. “All of us in the Ole Miss family are grateful to Gov. Barbour for all he has done for our university and for our state. Without his effort, commitment and support, the Haley Barbour Center for Manufacturing Excellence would not exist.”
Perhaps no one was more pleased with the decision than Barbour himself.
“I am honored that the University of Mississippi has named this new Center for Manufacturing Excellence for me,” the former governor said. “During my terms as governor, one of our most important accomplishments was the creation of higher skilled, higher paying manufacturing jobs. I am grateful to the university for this personal recognition, but even more grateful for the important work that has been and will be done at the CME to support a wide variety of manufacturing industries and companies in Mississippi and beyond.”
The center was established in July 2008 to provide unique educational opportunities to undergraduate students interested in modern manufacturing. CME brings together the schools of Engineering, Business Administration and Accountancy, and the College of Liberal Arts to provide students with technical skills involved in successful manufacturing along with an understanding of accounting, communication, human resources, leadership, management and marketing.
The center has the support of a wide variety of industries ranging from aerospace and automotive to furniture and shipbuilding, as well as the support of state and national associations including the Mississippi Manufacturers Association and the National Association of Manufacturing.
The CME program began in fall 2010 with 27 freshmen from nine states. In fall 2011, 36 freshmen enrolled in the program.
For more information, visit the CME, contact Ryan Miller at 662-915-2632.