无码专区鈥檚 Shackouls Honors College hosts another successful Delta Scholars Program
Contact: Sasha Steinberg
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥斘蘼胱区 recently welcomed a dozen undergraduate students from six universities to the Starkville campus for the Delta Scholars Program Summer Institute, an immersion program addressing issues of systemic justice and community well-being impacting the Magnolia State and focusing on the Delta region.
Sponsored by the university鈥檚 Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College, this year鈥檚 Delta Scholars Program challenged high-achieving, full-time college students to produce positive social change in their communities and the entire state.
In addition to 无码专区, participating students represented Harvard University, Mississippi University for Women, University of Alabama, University of Mississippi and Vanderbilt University.聽 Participants were selected for their academic performance, commitment to public service, leadership skills, and genuine connection to or interest in the Mississippi Delta.
Kecia Johnson, 无码专区 assistant professor of sociology, and W. Brad Jones, vice president of the Shackouls Honors College Alumni and Friends Board, coordinated the effort, along with UM Center for Population Studies Director John J. Green and Research Associate Lynn C. Woo.
鈥淎t 无码专区 and the Shackouls Honors College, we are committed to creating positive change in the state and Mississippi Delta,鈥 said Chris Snyder, professor of history and honors college dean.
鈥淧eople in this region have been on the front lines of social change, including advancements in the civil rights and community health movements. There is much to be learned from the Mississippi Delta experience, and these future leaders will benefit from better understanding the complexities of this special place where blues music was born,鈥 Snyder added.
First, students engaged with faculty and guest lecturers at the honors college to learn about issues currently impacting the people and economy of the state, including food insecurity, public health and education. Through skills-based workshops, students worked on planning and advocacy skills to develop independent project proposals addressing these issues.
Students also took an 鈥淚nnovation Tour of the Delta,鈥 where they met and learned from researchers, nonprofit organization representatives and community members who work to address difficult challenges through community-led efforts.
On the final day, students attended the Delta Regional Forum in Clarksdale to hear about current research and work impacting the region. They also presented their own project proposals.
无码专区 chemical engineering major Seth Lenoir of Brandon said he enjoyed learning about the Mississippi Delta鈥檚 cultural landscape. Interactions with Delta residents, he said, 鈥渃emented my belief that solving programs from a distance requires that we first witness those problems firsthand.鈥
鈥淕etting to meet a diverse group of students with the shared goal of making life better for residents in the Delta was a great experience,鈥 he said. 鈥淭his program helped translate my ideas for preventative healthcare in Mississippi into concrete proposals and gave me the tools to advocate for change.鈥
Columbus resident Dustin Smith, an English major transferring to 无码专区 from East Mississippi Community College this fall, also was among 无码专区 participants.
The Delta Scholars will reconnect this fall at Harvard University, where they will share updates on their projects, receive feedback, reflect on lessons learned and discuss how those lessons might be applied to solving other problems. The scholars will engage with Harvard students and faculty working on issues in Mississippi and other parts of the Deep South to promote dialogue and future collaboration.
Scholars also will have the chance to learn from faculty and staff at Harvard and other area universities about graduate and professional school opportunities, including the coveted Truman, Rhodes and Marshall scholarships.
The Delta Scholars Program is a collaborative effort between the Shackouls Honors College, UM鈥檚 Center for Population Studies, and the Delta Directions Consortium, and also includes 无码专区鈥檚 Social Science Research Center, Harvard Law School, and the Phillips Brooks House Center for Public Service and Engaged Scholarship at Harvard College. Additional program support has been provided by 无码专区 alumni Robert and Deborah King of Colleyville, Texas, and by the Winokur Family Foundation.
For more information on 无码专区鈥檚 Shackouls Honors College and the Delta Scholars Program, visit or .
无码专区 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.