Mississippi's eight public universities have modified the schedules for the spring semester classes to inhibit the spread of the coronavirus, extending Spring Break by an additional week. Universities plan to begin alternative online classes after the break ends on March 23.

Additionally, the Mississippi Association for Community and Junior Colleges has suspended athletic activities until March 30. All eight universities and a number of community colleges have also suspended all international and out-of-state travel until further notice.

The eight public universities are Alcorn State University, Delta State University, Jackson State University, Mississippi State University, Mississippi University for Women, Mississippi Valley State University, the University of Mississippi and the University of Southern Mississippi.

More information is available at mississippi.edu. Millsaps College, the University of Mississippi and the University of Southern Mississippi have also posted additional information at millsaps.edu/coronavirus, provost.olemiss.edu/covid and usm.edu/provost/coronavirus.

USM Women's Suffrage Event

The University of Southern Mississippi Center for Black Studies hosted an interactive program titled "100 Years and Counting! African American Women in the Suffrage Movement" this morning, March 13, at 10 a.m. in the Eureka School building (410 E. Sixth St., Hattiesburg) in downtown Hattiesburg.

Eureka School and the Sixth Street Museum District served as presenters of the program, which commemorated the ratification of the 19th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution in 1920, which granted most American women the right to vote.

Panelists at the event included USM faculty members Sherita Johnson, associate professor of English and director of the Center for Black Studies; Rebecca Tuuri, associate professor of history and co-director of USM's Center for the Study of the Gulf South; and Hattiesburg Ward 2 City Councilwoman Deborah Delgado.

For information about the USM Center for Black Studies, visit https://www.usm.edu/interdisciplinary-studies-professional-development/black-studies-about-center.php.

MSU Athlete Engineering Summit

Mississippi State University's Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems, the Bagley College of Engineering, the MSU Athletics Department and the university's National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center will partner to host the inaugural MSU Athlete Engineering Summit from June 10-11 at The Mill Conference Center on the MSU campus.

The event will feature discussions on how to build effective collaborations between athletics and academics departments and explore how key elements affect sport, industrial, tactical and at-risk athletes, a release from MSU says. Attendees will be able to meet and network with professionals and see demonstrations of wearable athletic technology.

Registration opens at the end of April. Registration fees are $150 for members of the general public, $100 for MSU faculty and staff and $35 for students. For more information on the MSU Athlete Engineering Summit, visit athleteengineeringsummit.com.