Jackson State University is releasing a series of videos to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies. The videos are part of a pair of initiatives called Community Resilience Engaging Advanced Training and Education and Females Advancing Science and Technology, both of which provide information about urgent notifications, shelters, evacuations, public safety and more.

The Department of Homeland Security recently awarded JSU a $469,000 interdisciplinary grant to prepare underrepresented undergraduate minority students to successfully enter graduate programs or careers in emergency management or disaster preparedness. The program targets students of all genders seeking degrees in computer science, emergency management technology, meteorology, psychology and journalism and media studies.

C.R.E.A.T.E. is aligned with the National Weather Service of Jackson and works with JSU’s Project FAST, which targets women and aims to bolster their studies in STEM and psychology. As part of the grant program, C.R.E.A.T.E. completed five weather preparedness videos with JSU’s Journalism and Media Studies, who conducted interviews with people in the community who have been impacted by weather disasters.

The national preparedness campaign focuses on encouraging people to communicate and create a disaster preparedness plan based on CDC recommendations; gather supplies in advance and update disaster kits; and sign up for CDC alerts. JSU has also partnered with the National Weather Service for a virtual town hall to promote safety and preparedness.

MSU Working to Return Native American Remains

Mississippi State University's Cobb Institute of Archaeology recently received a grant from the National Park Service to assess and return human remains found at the local Lyon’s Bluff historic site in partnership with the Native American nations of Mississippi.

Lyon’s Bluff is a large Native American mound and village complex located in the Black Prairie region of northeastern Oktibbeha County. AMEC faculty members Anna Osterholtz and Molly Zuckerman will consult with all Native American nations who have cultural and historical connections to Mississippi to begin the repatriation process and return remains back to their respective descendent communities.

The $90,000 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act grant is part of a larger $1.9 million in federal funds that the National Park Service dispersed through 11 grants across the U.S. to support the transportation and return of cultural items. The NAGPRA ensures compliance with current federal law regarding collections of human burials and ancestral to present-day Indigenous American communities, a release from MSU says. The grant also meets and exceeds standards and expectations for ethical practice in archaeology and bioarchaeology regarding treatment of human burials.

For more information, visit cobb.msstate.edu.

Wesley Worldwide Wishes at USM

The Wesley Foundation at The University of Southern Mississippi's Hattiesburg campus is currently hosting its "Wesley Worldwide Wishes" initiative, which allows participants to "adopt" an international student at the university and shop for their Christmas wish list.

USM's chapters of the Association of Office Professionals and Sigma Alpha Lambda support the Wesley Worldwide Wishes program. WWW will run through Dec. 20. Participants can visit the Wesley Foundation, located at 3200 Montague Blvd., and take an international student’s wishlist from their Christmas tree.

For more information, call the Wesley Foundation at 601-268-6889 or email [email protected].