Jackson State University is partnering with the University of Kentucky and national startup accelerator XLerateHealth to launch a program that will help commercialize human health-focused ideas from historically black colleges and universities. The XLerator Network, an NIH-funded accelerator hub that operates in 24 academic institutions across the Southeast, is also supporting the program.

JSU is also heading up a “pre-accelerator” program called “Engaging Researchers and Innovators for Commercialization at HBCUs,” which is for faculty and student innovators at HBCUs in IDeA-eligible states.

The program will help train faculty and students at HBCUs to evaluate the commercial potential of new healthcare innovations and train them to conduct market assessments on those innovations. The initiative will also support intellectual property protections and teach faculty and students about the commercialization process.

JSU's program will also provide professional networks, mentorship opportunities, entrepreneurial best practices courses and other resources to underrepresented minorities. JSU will accept applications to the program on an annual basis.

For more information about the program, visit xleratornetwork.com/enrich/ or email [email protected].

USM Receives Grant to Study Doctoral Humanities Programs

The Council of Graduate Schools recently awarded the University of Southern Mississippi's graduate school a “PhD Career Pathways” grant, which will support cross-disciplinary study of career outcomes for graduates of select doctoral programs.

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is working with USM and four other institutions that received similar grants as part of a larger initiative to survey alumni pursuing doctorates in the humanities about their career choices in order to collect data that academic institutions can use to improve their graduate programs.

USM's Graduate School will partner with the USM Schools of Humanities, Communication and Psychology to collect data over a two-year period.

For more information about the USM Graduate School, visit https://www.usm.edu/graduate-school/.

MSU Switching to Mobile Ticketing for Athletic Events

Mississippi State University Athletics recently announced that it will transition to mobile ticketing for all ticketed athletic events beginning with the 2020 football season. The move will allow for contactless entry into athletic venues and the ability to transfer tickets electronically, a release from MSU says.

MSU Athletics will continue to offer print-at-home tickets in addition to mobile tickets. Mobile ticket purchasers will be able to transfer tickets via mobile phone, download and store tickets to an Apple or Android device and transfer tickets to a friend via text using the recipient's cell-phone number.

Mobile customers can manage their account using the new My Account 2.0 page when logging into their account on HailState.com/myDogTag. For more information and answers to questions on MSU mobile ticketing, visit https://hailstate.com/news/2020/7/17/msu-athletics-moves-to-mobile-ticketing-for-2020.aspx, call 662-325-2600 or email [email protected].