{"id":94768,"date":"2019-12-27T11:00:40","date_gmt":"2019-12-27T17:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.olemiss.edu\/?p=94768"},"modified":"2019-12-27T12:44:57","modified_gmt":"2019-12-27T18:44:57","slug":"top-ole-miss-stories-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web20.olemiss.edu\/news\/wordpress\/top-ole-miss-stories-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"Top Ole Miss Stories of 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

OXFORD, Miss. \u2013 From reaching an all-time high first-year retention rate to unveiling new and renovated facilities across campus, it\u2019s hard to believe all that happened in one year at the University of Mississippi. Here are some of the top Ole Miss achievements and accomplishments from 2019 \u2013 truly a year to remember:<\/p>\n

Record-high Retention and Graduation<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

At our core, our mission is to educate students. That\u2019s why we’re most proud of these accomplishments \u2014 we reached an all-time high first-year retention rate of 86.8 percent, which means our students are persisting, and we conferred a record number of 5,340 degrees, which means our students are graduating and prepared to build successful lives.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

 <\/h2>\n

 UM Grads are Most Employable<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Our graduates are the best in the state at finding employment and keeping it, according to data from the U.S. Department of Education compiled in a ranking from Zippia.com. After 10 years, 91.42 percent of Ole Miss graduates remain employed. That\u2019s not only the best percentage of all Mississippi universities, but it also surpasses a number of institutions across the country. Ole Miss is one of only three \u201cPower Five\u201d universities to tout its state\u2019s highest graduate employment rate.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

 <\/h2>\n

Global Scholars<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

UM is proud to continue an illustrious track record of producing top-notch scholars. Two students of note this year are Arielle Hudson of Tunica, who became the university\u2019s 27th student to win the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship<\/a>, and Addison Roush of Oxford, who became the 14th Ole Miss student to receive a coveted Goldwater Scholarship<\/a>. <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

 <\/h2>\n

UM Innovations Change Lives<\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Year in and year out our scholars create new knowledge across a wide range of fields that benefit the state, region and world, including technology to accelerate the process of removing landmines around the world and new forensic tools for law enforcement to trace 3D-printed firearms using chemical fingerprints. We also performed the state’s first pediatric haploidentical bone marrow transplant as a curative option for sickle cell disease and earned our fourth patent for a product that will treat poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

 <\/h2>\n

Flagship Facilities<\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The physical presence of our campus grew and received major upgrades in 2019 with the opening of the expanded Ole Miss Student Union, the renovated Garland, Hedleston and Mayes that is now home to our School of Applied Sciences, the dedication of the new South Campus Rec Center and the William Magee Center for Wellness Education. These enhancements all play a pivotal role in our effort to serve students, faculty and staff with state-of-the-art facilities that build on our legacy as home to the country\u2019s most beautiful and inviting campus. <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

 <\/h2>\n

Top Cancer Center<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

U.S. News and World Report ranked the UMMC Cancer Center and Research Institute\u2019s patient programs among the top 10 percent of cancer centers in the nation, which reflects the dedication and expertise of our faculty and staff to offer top-notch cancer care and to improve procedures and technology continually for Mississippians.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

 <\/h2>\n

New Era of Athletics Leadership<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In his first year at Ole Miss, men\u2019s head basketball coach Kermit Davis earned SEC Coach of the Year honors. We welcomed a familiar face to lead Ole Miss Athletics with the naming of Keith Carter as athletics director, and we can\u2019t wait for next fall after feeling the excitement and national attention generated by hiring Lane Kiffin as the Rebels\u2019 39th head football coach.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

 <\/h2>\n

Ole Miss Fuels Growth in Mississippi<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The university\u2019s annual economic impact totals $2.9 billion and enables 43,121 jobs across the state. To put it another way, one out of every 37 jobs in Mississippi is supported by the activities of UM and its students. And, we produce a great return on investment for Mississippi taxpayers by generating $4.40 in state tax revenue and public sector savings for every $1 in state funds that supports the university.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

 <\/h2>\n

Celebrating Milestones<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This year, we marked major anniversaries of several significant university programs, including a half a century of our federally funded marijuana growing contract and the 30th anniversaries of the Mississippi Teacher Corps, the Encyclopedia of Southern Culture and the Institute for Child Nutrition.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

 <\/h2>\n

A Great College to Work For<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

For the 11th consecutive year, UM was one of the best colleges in the nation to work for, according to a new survey published by The Chronicle of Higher Education. UM made the Honor Roll listing and was recognized in eight categories this year, including job satisfaction and work-life balance, among others. <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

 <\/h2>\n

Mississippi\u2019s First Andrew Carnegie Fellow<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Annie Cafer, UM sociology professor, was named an Andrew Carnegie Fellow. She’s the first Ole Miss faculty member \u2013 and the first faculty member from any Mississippi university \u2013 to receive the fellowship, which comes with a $200,000 grant for her work in the field of community resilience.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

 <\/h2>\n

Top 50 Best Value School<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We take pride in offering a great value to our students and our home state. Ole Miss ranked No. 39 on the list of Best Value Schools among public universities in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report. For the ninth year in a row, USNWR ranked the university among the top 100 public universities across the nation, making UM the highest-ranked university in Mississippi. <\/p>\n

Be sure to check out our Year in Photos video below.<\/p>\n