The Committee on Services and Resources for Women at the University of Southern Mississippi is sponsoring a series of activities throughout March in recognition of Women’s History Month.

On March 9, Mississippi authors Jesmyn Ward and Kiese Laymon will host a University Forum at 6:30 p.m. The forum will present a conversation between the two authors about their work, after which they will take audience questions. The University Forum is free and open to the public. To register in advance for this event, visit https://forms.usm.edu/honors/view.php?id=224725. Learn more about Ward and Laymon here.

MSU will host “Hills Already Climbed? Women in Power from Medieval to Modern” on March 11 from 1 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. The Zoom meeting ID for the event is 912 9961 6732 and the passcode is 31499241.

Rebecca Tuuri, associate professor of history and Mississippi Humanities Council Teacher of the Year 2021, will present the lecture “Black Mississippi Women's Pivotal Role in Securing the Vote for All Americans” on March 16 at 5:30 p.m. The Zoom meeting ID is 93274768312. For more information, visit usm-edu.zoom.us/j/93274768312.

The USM Repertory Dance Company will host "Dances to Celebrate Women's History Month" on March 26 at 7 p.m. For ticket information, visit https://artdesign.usm.edu/.

On April 15, CSRW will host its Lunchtime Lecture Series event featuring USM professor of history Dr. Deanne Stephens, who will present "Pickin' and Shuckin': Women in the Mississippi Gulf Coast Seafood Industry." The Zoom meeting ID for the event is 910 6538 6153.

For more information about CSRW, click here or visit the organization's Facebook page.

JSU Receives L2M Prize for EnRICH Program

Jackson State University recently received a $25,000 visionary prize for its pre-accelerator healthcare-focused program, known as Engaging Researchers and Innovators for Commercialization at HBCUs, during the Lab-To-Market Inclusive Innovation Ecosystem Prize competition.

The L2M prize competition recognizes the most impactful organizations, programs and ideas that support research and development innovation ecosystems, particularly those focused on underrepresented communities and pandemic responses, a release from JSU says.

JSU's EnRICH program aims to create an environment of diversity, inclusion, equity and entrepreneurship in underrepresented communities and helps HBCU faculty and students learn to critically evaluate the commercial potential of new innovations. The program is part of the XLerator Network, which launched in the summer of 2020.

EnRICH’s original cohort focused on the 31 HBCUs in the Southeast Institutional Development Award region, which includes Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, South Carolina and West Virginia. The program has since expanded to all HBCUs in the nation. The second cohort, which will run from March 5 to May 7, will include participants from eight different HBCUs representing five states.

Read more about JSU’s healthcare program here. For more information on the XLerator Network, visit xleratornetwork.com/enrich.

MSU Hosting Virtual Workshop for Secondary Teachers

Mississippi State University's Institute for the Humanities is offering a workshop for secondary teachers about the effects of protests throughout history.

The virtual workshop will take place on March 6 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will feature faculty presenters Stephanie Freeman and Joey Thompson, both MSU assistant professors of history. “Protest in History” will focus on the transformative role protests have had on the shaping of history, particularly United States history during the Vietnam War era, a release from MSU says.

Freeman’s presentation will focus on grassroots anti-nuclear activism in the U.S. during the early 1980s, while Thompson will discuss how music, especially country music, supported and protested American initiatives such as the Vietnam War.

Participants will be able to receive 0.6 continuing education units. The workshop is free, but teachers are responsible for paying a $25 fee to claim CEU credits. To register, visit bit.ly/3o0RijU. For more information, email [email protected].