Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College is ranked No. 1 on the 2021-22 Military Friendly® Schools list for the nation’s largest community colleges.  This is the second year in a row that Gulf Coast has received the No. 1 ranking. 

Now in its 11th year, the list has come to set the standard for higher education institutions to provide the best opportunities for veterans and their spouses. MGCCC has had a top 10 designation for the past three years and has been ranked on the list since its inception.

Institutions of higher learning competed for the title by completing an extensive survey covering 10 indicators of success, including support for student veterans on campus, graduation and employment outcomes, and military spouse policies. Only those in the top 15 percent are included on the list. 

“The college has a strong relationship with the military and values the opportunity to have locations at Keesler Air Force Base and the Naval Construction and Battalion Center,” said Dr. Mary S. Graham, MGCCC president.  “Serving the men and women who serve and have served our nation is a privilege. We are proud of our commitment to the military and are honored that MGCCC has been ranked as the best community college for our military families for the second year in a row.” 

MGCCC was ranked in six different categories, exceeding standards by more than 70 percent on Academic Policies & Compliance, Admissions & Orientation, Culture & Commitment, Graduation & Career, and Military Student Support & Retention.   

MGCCC provides a wide variety of services to active–duty military personnel and veterans.  The college assists its military students in scheduling courses around temporary duty assignments and interruptions for deployment. The institution’s military withdrawal policy ensures military students avoid any hardships when called into active duty. Additionally, the college offers military–base campus representatives to provide one-stop-shop services, including priority registration assistance, degree evaluations and book service. MGCCC also provides a VA school certifying official (SCO) to meet the needs of veterans, military spouses and military dependents. Enrollment specialists at campus locations coordinate the review of transfer credit/military credit.  Finally, active–duty military students and veterans receive in-state tuition. 

For more information about MGCCC’s Military Friendly designation and No. 1 ranking, please visit https://www.militaryfriendly.com/mississippi-gulf-coast-community-college/.

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Among the diverse student body enrolled at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Harrison County Campus are high school and homeschool students earning college credit while simultaneously earning their high school or homeschool diploma. Concurrent enrollment at MGCCC encompasses dual credit at the high school, dual enroll on the college campus, and Collegiate Academy. 

To meet the unique needs of concurrently enrolled students, the Harrison County Campus Concurrent Enrollment Leadership Organization (HC-CELO) was founded in the fall 2020 semester by Dr. Kathryn Morris and Bridget Bermond, science instructors, and Justin Mills, Collegiate Academy counselor and career coach. 

HC-CELO is specifically designed for concurrently enrolled high school students and seeks to facilitate a successful transition into the collegiate experience, both academically and socially, as well as to aid students as they acclimate to MGCCC. “Through this organization, we hope to establish a community of support for this group of students to promote fellowship and provide a forum to address the diverse set of challenges presented by the collegiate environment,” Mills said.  

At MGCCC, concurrently enrolled students have access to all services available to traditional college students, including student clubs and activities, the Learning Lab, Writing Center, advising, and career services, to name a few. However, until the creation of HC-CELO, no club was specifically designed to meet the needs of the concurrently enrolled community. 

As Morris explained, “The purpose is to enhance the students’ college experience by encouraging scholarship, leadership, and service while utilizing the resources offered by MGCCC.”  

HC-CELO student officers were elected in late fall 2020. The officers are Jack McIntyre, president (homeschool); Daisha Hall, vice president (Gulfport High School); William “Trey” Carraway, treasurer (Gulfport High School); and Taylor Wingo, secretary (D’Iberville High School).  

“HC-CELO officers and members will work closely with CELO advisers to coordinate events, programs, and initiatives that focus on their particular needs,” said Bridgett Bermond. “Student members will also have the opportunity to serve on a recruiting committee for future concurrently enrolled students,” she said. 

HC-CELO held its first general member meeting on February 9 with more than 40 student members. The next meeting will be held on March 23.   

For more information about the club, please contact one of the advisers: 

Bridgett Bermond – bridgett.bermond@mgccc.edu 

Justin D. Mills – justin.mills@mgccc.edu  

Dr. Kathryn Morris – kathryn.morris@mgccc.edu  

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Jennifer Moffett, language arts instructor at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Jackson County Campus, received the 2021 Humanities Teacher Award.  The Mississippi Humanities Council gives the award to one instructor at each of the state’s institutions of higher learning.    

Moffett, of Ocean Springs, teaches composition, literature, and creative writing. In 2019, she was selected to represent MGCCC at the annual Higher Education Appreciation Day-Working for Academic Excellence (HEADWAE) program in Jackson.  

The Humanities Teacher Awards recognize the contributions of humanities faculty in the fields of English, History, Music, Art and Philosophy. Nominations are made by the college or university president, vice president, or dean of instruction. Each award recipient is required to prepare and deliver a public lecture.  

Moffett presented her public lecture, “Novel Communities: Constructing Community through Narrative in the Creative Writing Classroom,” on February 22 at the Jackson County Campus.  

In the lecture, she discussed teaching students how to write from their own sense of place and experiences.  

“It is a meaningful way to connect with a diverse range of readers on a universal level,” she said. “In addition, I discussed introducing students to the various career opportunities as future writers. It is an important responsibility, as many students are just learning how to connect their talents and interests with a fulfilling job.”  

She said she utilizes her personal experiences working as a writer in television, magazines, literary journals, and traditional publishing to show students the many career paths available in writing and the practical ways to pursue those paths using their community college education as the starting point.

“I love introducing students to stories and techniques that spark their passion for writing creatively,” she said. “I can’t think of a better calling than helping students find their voices as future writers.” 

For more information on the award or the Mississippi Humanities Council, visit mshumanities.org.  

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Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Immersive Media Performing Arts Center (iMPAC) at the Harrison County Campus on February 25.  IMPAC provides a venue for performances, events, conferences and meetings unlike any other in the region. It is the premier performance facility on the Coast and a training ground for live-performance professionals.

In addition, MGCCC and the Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra signed an agreement to make iMPAC the orchestra’s new home.  Since 1962, the Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra has brought live classical music to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Along with Music director Dr. Peter Rubardt, there are 72 musicians. 

“The opening of iMPAC is something our entire college family has anticipated since the beginning of construction,” said Dr. Cedric Bradley, vice president of the Harrison County Campus. “We are looking forward to the many wonderful performances and events that will enhance learning for our students and provide opportunities for cultural, educational, and professional events for both students and our communities.”  

IMPAC is one of three Innovation Locations at MGCCC campuses, including the Hospitality Resort Management Center at the Harrison County Campus and the Estuarine Education Center at the Jackson County Campus. These locations provide coastal residents and students the opportunity to experience a wide variety of cultural and recreational activities. 

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Dr. Jordan Sanderson, chairperson of the School of Language Arts at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Jackson County Campus, was awarded the 2021 Dale P. Parnell Faculty Distinction Recognition.  This recognition, named in honor of former American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) president and chief executive officer Dale P. Parnell, has been established to recognize individuals making a difference in the classroom.

Sanderson is one of only 23 faculty members at the nation’s institutions of higher learning to receive the award. Winners are chosen for their passion for teaching, support for students inside and outside the classroom, participation in college committees and going above and beyond to ensure students are successful in their academic endeavors.

Devoted to the college and his students, Sanderson also directs the college’s QEP, and serves on several college committees. He teaches Technical English, English Composition I and II, Creative Writing, and a variety of literature courses.

“Receiving the Dale P. Parnell Faculty Distinction Recognition is a tremendous honor, and I’m grateful for it,” Sanderson said. “Working at MGCCC has given me the opportunity to work with innovative and inspiring colleagues and dedicated students who motivate me to excel every day.”

Sanderson grew up just north of Hattiesburg and earned a PhD from the Center for Writers at The University of Southern Mississippi, where he was an Excellence Fellow. He has published more than 100 poems and several critical articles and reviews. He’s the author of Abattoir (Slash Pine Press, University of Alabama) and The Formulas (ELJ Publications), and his work has been anthologized in Next Line, Please (Cornell UP), The Best of Clapboard House, and The Southern Poetry Anthology, Volume II: Mississippi (Texas Review Press). 

Since coming to MGCCC in 2009, he has been named a William Winter Scholar, Mississippi Humanities Professor of the Year, MGCCC Instructor of the Year, and HEADWAE faculty representative.

For more information on the award, visit https://www.aacc.nche.edu/about-us/awards/dale-p-parnell-faculty-distinction-recognition-2021/.

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Dr. Jeremy Daughtry, assistant dean of Teaching and Learning at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Harrison County Campus, was selected for a Distinguished College Administrator Award by Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (PTK).  Daughtry is one of 26 college administrators who will be recognized as a Distinguished Administrator at PTK Catalyst 2021, the Society’s annual convention, broadcast live from Orlando, Florida, April 8-10.  

“I’m honored to support the transformative work of Phi Theta Kappa and the scholarship and leadership of the Harrison County Campus’ Omicron Alpha Chapter students,” Daughtry said.  “Working alongside the distinguished chapter advisors in championing student success has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career to date.” 

Daughtry has worked at MGCCC since 2017. During that time, he spearheaded the college’s Military Friendly Survey effort, leading the college to receive the No. 1 national ranking for the large community college category for the past two years and ranking in the top 10 for the past three years.  He received the 2019 Innovator’s Award for Engaging Dual Credit Faculty as part of a campus group proposal; currently serves on the Communications Committee for United Way for George and Jackson Counties; serves as a Competitive Scholarship Judge for Phi Theta Kappa International; participated in the Mississippi Community College Leadership Academy (MCCLA) in 2019-2020; and serves as instructional designer and technology trainer for Harrison County Campus faculty. 

The Distinguished College Administrator Awards are presented to college vice presidents, deans, or directors serving at post-secondary institutions who have shown strong support of student success on their campus by recognizing academic achievement, leadership, and service among high-achieving students.  Recipients are nominated for the award by students on their campus.

For more information about the award, visit ptk.org/news. 

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The first event at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s new Immersive Media Performing Arts Center (iMPAC) was held February 25, with nearly 100 MGCCC students from the college’s four-county district attending the annual Student Leadership Conference. Speakers from the Gulf Coast community, including Chamber of Commerce and business and industry leaders, participated in the program.

Highlights of the event included an interview panel with Richmond Vincent Jr., president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of South Mississippi and Goodworks; Lee Bond, CEO of Singing River Health Systems; and Rebecca Powers, Harrison County District Two supervisor. Breakout sessions were offered by Municipal Judge Sean A. Courtney, of Wiggins; Christian Hartley, branch manager at Keesler Federal Credit Union; Katie Weldon, program director and military affairs liaison for the Mississippi Chamber of Commerce; and Ken Flanagan, director of George County Community Development.

That evening, Point of iMPAC, the inaugural performance in the center, featured the amazing talent of MGCCC student performance groups, including Coastal Vibrations, Jazz Band, JC Voices, Mississippi Sound, the Perkette Dance Team, Perkinston Concert Choir, Saxophone Quartet, Tuba/Euphonium Ensemble and Quartet, and Wind and Woodwind ensembles.

The showcase brought student performers from all three Gulf Coast campuses together for a phenomenal experience at South Mississippi’s newest live entertainment venue. The music chosen for the event ranged from jazz to opera, Broadway musicals to pops and displayed the wide range of talent among MGCCC students and their opportunities for learning performance arts at the college.

iMPAC is a unique gem at the center of MGCCC’s 10 campuses and centers, offering coastal residents and students the opportunity to participate in cultural, educational, professional, and recreational events.  The 54,000-square-foot facility features 1,200 seats of unobstructed views in a state-of-the-art auditorium.

View the Point of iMPAC photo gallery at iMPAC Gallery.

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Two Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College students, Gavin Eley of Biloxi and Carlin Taylor of Long Beach, won the Humanities Oral Presentation for Two-Year Colleges at this year’s Mississippi Undergraduate Honors Conference.  Eley and Taylor presented on the creative research and process of making a 3-D animated short film. 

The conference, hosted virtually by the Mississippi University for Women in February, allowed students in undergraduate honors programs at Mississippi colleges and universities to showcase their research projects in oral or poster presentations.  

“We felt extreme shock at winning,” Taylor said.  “After the segment talking with our judges, we thought for sure we would not win as they had fairly intimidating questions.  When they announced our name at the end of the conference, we were speechless. We really did not know we had done so well until we saw the feedback from other colleges and students.” 

Taylor, a multimedia art and animation major, said he teamed up with Eley because Eley knew the software Blender well.  “I had this idea about doing a short film but didn’t feel I was proficient enough in Blender.  Gavin knows it so well, so we just naturally started talking about what we wanted to do.”  

Eley, a chemical engineering major, said he enjoys doing basic game design but had never done something like an animated short film.  “This is my first time getting involved in animation at this level,” he said. “Without Carlin’s interest in the field, I would probably not have even delved into it. The project started with us discussing how he wanted to make an animation, and since we both worked with Blender, we started work on the project.”

Taylor and Eley still have work to do to complete the project. “We do plan to continue working on this project and present a finished animation later this year,” Eley said. “I was initially motivated to do this project because of Carlin and how we decided to have the character progress through the story, which is very unique. The Honors presentation win and award has certainly jumpstarted us to get back to working on it even harder.”

To view their presentation, visit https://athenacommons.muw.edu/muhc/2021/humanities/7.

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The four chapters of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College have been named 2021 REACH Rewards Chapters.  Winning chapters were chosen based on an increase in their membership acceptance rate to 15 percent or higher during the 2020 calendar year.

Through the REACH Awards, or Recognizing Excellence in Acceptance and Completion with Honors, chapters receive free Phi Theta Kappa stoles for officers and/or members to wear at graduation.  The number of stoles each chapter receives is based on how many new students are recruited to the chapter during the previous year.

The MGCCC chapters winning the honor include the following:

• Beta Tau Eta Chapter, George County Center
• Omicron Alpha Chapter, Harrison County Campus
• Pi Epsilon Chapter, Jackson County Campus
• Gamma Nu Chapter, Perkinston Campus

The REACH Rewards program was established to encourage PTK membership and to provide more students with outstanding opportunities.  PTK members have access to $48 million in scholarships — $1 million in competitive scholarships through the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation and more than $46 million in transfer scholarships to over 850 four-year colleges.

For more information on Phi Theta Kappa’s 2021 REACH Rewards, visit ptk.org/news.

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MGCCC Harrison County Campus sophomore Uyen My Nguyen of Biloxi won three awards in the 33rd annual Student Art Exhibition and Competition of the Mississippi Community College Art Instructors Association (MCCAIA).

The statewide exhibition, hosted by the MGCCC Jackson County Campus in Gautier, features nearly 200 student works from 13 different Mississippi community college campuses. 

This year’s competition was judged by New Orleans-based artists and educators Sarah House and Phil Sandusky. 

Nguyen won first place in the Drawing category with her pencil piece titled “White and Dark Objects.” Her two additional entries in the 2-D Design category, “Seventy Textures” (pen) and “Color Vs. Black and White” (acrylic). were awarded Honorable Mentions.  

Nguyen , 20, was born in Vietnam and has been in the U.S. for almost seven years. 

Art has been her passion since she was a child, but she says she did not have the opportunity to pursue it seriously until she came to the states.  

“My dream is to become an anime/game characters creator and visual effects artist,” she said. “I enjoy drawing portraits and animated figures, but now I’m trying to explore more different and creative art skills.”  

She plans to attend a university to pursue a degree in visual development and become an animator for an entertainment company. 

“She is an excellent student and amazing artist, well versed in all artistic mediums,” said Cecily Cummings, MGCCC art instructor. “Her classmates and I enjoy seeing every piece she creates, and we are very proud of her.”  

The MCCAIA student art show is open to the public at the MGCCC Jackson County Campus Fine Arts Gallery through March 26. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Monday-Friday. For more information, contact Marc Poole, gallery director, at marc.poole@mgccc.edu. 

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Carlin Taylor of Long Beach has been named a semifinalist for the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship.  Taylor is one of five Mississippi community college students who could win up to $40,000 annually to attend a four-year college or university of their choice.  This year’s 406 semifinalists were chosen from a pool of more than 1,500 applicants attending 398 community colleges in 44 states and the District of Columbia.

“The Cooke scholarship is an incredible opportunity for me, and I look forward to finding out whether or not I receive it in April,” he said. “It is exciting as this scholarship would allow me to truly go anywhere I choose.”

Taylor, a Multimedia Art and Animation major at the Harrison County Campus, is active in Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, serving as the president of the PTK Mississippi/Louisiana region and as vice president of Leadership for the Omicron Alpha Chapter at the Harrison County Campus. He has received the Golden Key Award, Distinguished Chapter Officer Award and Distinguished Regional Officer Award, and was named to the college’s Who’s Who Among Community College Students.

The Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship is a highly selective scholarship for the nation’s top community college students seeking to complete their bachelor’s degrees at four-year colleges or universities. Each Cooke Scholar has access to generous financial support for two to three years, college planning support, ongoing advising, and the opportunity to connect with the thriving community of fellow scholars.

The 2021 Cooke College Scholarship recipients will be announced in April.

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Dr. Mary S. Graham, president of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, has been elected to the Mississippi Humanities Council Board for a four-year term.  Graham was appointed during the Council’s February board meeting.

“Being selected to serve on the Mississippi Humanities Council is an honor,” Graham said. “The humanities are vital for us all, providing insight into ourselves and other cultures and filling our lives with meaning. I look forward to working with other board members and the staff at MHC to provide opportunities for Mississippians to learn about history, culture and arts.” 

The Mississippi Humanities Council is a private nonprofit corporation funded by Congress through the National Endowment for the Humanities to provide public programs in traditional liberal arts disciplines to serve nonprofit groups in Mississippi. The humanities are the study of history, literature, religion, languages, philosophy, and culture. 

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Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College has a wide variety of summer camps to satisfy kids from ages 6 to 19. With camps ranging from robotics to disc golf, chemistry to performing arts, parents can choose from many interesting and rewarding programs that will engage their children’s inquisitive minds and active bodies.

Dr. Terri Sasser, assistant dean of Teaching and Learning at the Jackson County Campus, said all MGCCC camps have multiple opportunities for participants to learn skills. “When deciding what camps to offer and design, we want to make sure that it is a value-added experience for participants,” she said.  “As a college, we feel that our mission is to offer opportunities for individuals to broaden their horizons and learn new things.  These camps offer that and, of course, tons of fun as well.”

Vic Gauthreaux, the Bulldogs eSports adviser and Information Technology instructor at the Harrison County Campus, will be leading an eSports Summer Camp for ages 9-12.

“The great thing about the camps we offer at the college is that we focus on fun and learning,” he said. “We have everything planned so that campers can have the best experience possible.  We want our camps to be something they remember fondly forever.”

Gauthreaux said the eSports camps offered at all three campuses are not only about video games.  “We discuss and address the importance of physical activities, and we also stress the importance of professionalism and civil skills.”

Britney Patten, the Perkette Dance Team choreographer and dance coordinator, is leading the Perkette Princess Summer Dance Camp at the Perkinston Campus in June. “The camp is a princess-themed camp for children ages 4-9, that focuses on dancing and having fun,” she said. “Our Perkettes will be leading the campers in dance movements that will empower them and give them confidence.  We want each child to find the princess within and acknowledge the sense of royalty they already possess.”

Patten said movement is a vital part of how each person relates to the world. “It is the most natural and real way we communicate,” she said. “We want to develop participants’ skills and knowledge as movers, dancers and artists and help them find a connection with others and the world around them.”

For more information on MGCCC Summer Camps and to register, visit MGCCC.EDU/SUMMERCAMPS.

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Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Learning Resources Centers (LRC) and libraries have now made it easier for students and employees to access more than 70 databases both on- and off-campus.  These databases, provided by college subscriptions, state resources through Magnolia, and the Mississippi Virtual Community College MELO consortium, provide a wide range of books, pamphlets, information and films that students can use for research, study, career exploration and entertainment.

“The LRC staff on all campuses have been working diligently to offer students an easier way to reach the staff and resources when needed, whether they are on campus or at home,” said Melissa Davis, assistant dean of Learning Resources at the Jackson County Campus.  “Online access is more important than ever. The ability to easily link, embed, and log-in to resources is essential to teaching and learning online and a must for modernizing our library services.”

“We are always looking for ways to make access to our resources easier for students and instructors,” said Dr. Vanessa Ritchie, assistant dean of Learning Resources at the Perkinston Campus. “Moving to modified and online instruction this past year has been a challenge and we wanted to ensure that both instructors and students can meet that challenge successfully.”

Dr. Adrienne McPhaul, assistant dean of Learning Resources at the Harrison County Campus, said that the college has been working quickly to increase access to existing library resources and to provide subscriptions to requested resources.  Enhancements include a website redesign, library chat and email services, the migration to a new integrated library system and catalog (Atriuum) that allows for easy browsing and for users to place holds on books, and adding databases like JSTOR, JOMI, and Kanopy.

“We are also increasing our outreach to faculty and students so that they are more aware of all the content that is available to them for research and curriculum support,” McPhaul said.  “EZproxy is one way our libraries are removing barriers to actually accessing that content.”

MGCCC students and employees can login to library databases by visiting the library’s homepage at mgccc.edu/library. 

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Three Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College students won awards at the 2021 Phi Beta Lambda virtual state conference in February.  First-place winners will compete at the PBL national conference in June.

ShaKarah Williams of Grand Bay won first place in Marketing Concepts and third place in Job Interview.  She will compete at the national level this summer.

Kathy Necaise of Lumberton won second place in Business Communication.

Shaniya Slocum of McComb won second place in Hospitality Management and Retail Management.

PBL is a national association that brings business and education together through programs and services in which students, educators, and business people learn about one another. For more information about the organization, visit fbla-pbl.org.

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The Harrison County Players will present The 39 Steps: A Live Radio Play April 9 – 11 that can be viewed online.  To view, simply purchase your ticket and be brought to the viewing service, Broadway On Demand.  Create an account and purchase your ticket either before the event or during.  The event will be available all weekend until midnight on April 11.

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Jaymien Malone and Bill Patton, students at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s West Harrison County Center, are among many students currently using simulators in their industry-driven training programs.  The simulators allow them to drive trucks, bulldozers, and other heavy equipment in a safe environment while learning to troubleshoot problems.

Heavy Equipment Maintenance Technology (Heavy Equipment), Commercial Truck Driving (CDL), and Maritime Multi-Craft Technology (Multi-Craft) programs at the college’s West Harrison County Center in Long Beach received simulators through the CARES Act.

“It’s pretty cool to use the simulators, and it’s not as easy as you think,” Malone said.  “It helps to get the practice before you are on the road.  It gives you the feel of the machinery and helps you learn how to use the controls.”

Patton agreed, adding, “I like that the instructors can set up different scenarios, allowing us to figure out problems we might actually face on the job.  It’s learning, but fun at the same time.”

CDL instructor Kevin Collier said the simulators allow them to engage multiple students at once in performing skills training.  “We have three trucks and three truck simulators, so we can work with six students at a time now, where in the past, we were limited to using just the actual trucks,” he said.  “Another plus with the simulators is that we can use them no matter what the weather is like outside. They just make the training more valuable to our students, allowing them to practice skills more often and with a greater variety of scenarios than in the past.”

CDL is a an open-entry/open-exit program offered at two different times, one during the day and one in the afternoon/evening, so instructors are always working with new students.  “I can set up a troubleshooting program on the simulator to assess current skills and work simultaneously with a group of students on multiple skill levels,” Collier said.

Lamont Davis, instructor in the Multi-Craft program, said the simulators help students in his program because they learn so many different skills and are able to become more successful with increased opportunity for hands-on training.  “In the Multi-Craft program, students learn to work on marine engines and operate heavy equipment,” he said.  “Because the marine engine portions of the program are very intensive, students could easily lose their skills knowledge on the equipment operation if we didn’t have the simulators for them to use on a regular basis.”

Sitting at a computer that controls three heavy equipment simulators, Chris Gentry, instructor in the Heavy Equipment program, sets up a variety of environmental conditions for his students to troubleshoot and overcome.  Students work quietly, concentrating on operating equipment past hurdles visible on the screen.

“If you cannot operate a piece of equipment, you really can’t work on it,” Gentry said.  “You have to be able to move vehicles around and test them to troubleshoot and work on them.  The simulators make training students in this portion of the program so much more effective.”

He said they have actual equipment, such as bulldozers and forklifts, at the facility, but students learn the basic operational skills best on the simulators.  “With the simulators, we can work with more students at one time and put them through a variety of scenarios that we really can’t provide on the actual equipment. Simulators are a safer alternative for students as they are learning the skills they need.”

Dr. Jonathan Woodward, Executive Vice President of Teaching and Learning, said simulators also provide mobility in training.  “The heavy equipment operation simulators provide flexibility in how we train and where we train students because the simulators are mobile; they can be deployed to industry partners for on-location workforce training,” he said. “The additional equipment allows MGCCC to rapidly respond to industry needs in a manner that is both safe and cost-effective. We look forward to leveraging these simulators to offer immersive and robust learning experiences for students and trainees.”

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Corbin D. Jones, a Collegiate Academy student at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Harrison County Campus, has been selected to take part in the Mississippi IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) Research Scholars Program for the summer of 2021. Jones’ selection marks the first time a Collegiate Academy student will represent MGCCC in the research scholars’ program.

The Mississippi INBRE Research Scholars Program is an 11-week summer research internship for undergraduate students. Corbin will be working with Dr. Justin Thornton of Mississippi State University. Dr. Thornton’s research focuses on both sides of the host-pathogen interaction by characterizing how the innate immune response functions to limit progression of Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) infections and also how virulence mechanisms of the pneumococcus enable it to cause disease. The overall goal of his research is to identify new targets for intervention which will help to decrease the morbidity and mortality associated with this pathogen.

“I am super excited to be given the opportunity to work with Dr. Justin Thornton this summer,” Jones said. “I can’t wait to see the opportunities it will present, and how it will help me prepare for my future in science.”

Jones is a Long Beach High School student that is concurrently enrolled in the Collegiate Academy Program on the Harrison County Campus of MGCCC. The Collegiate Academy Program allows high school and homeschooled juniors and seniors to simultaneously earn a high school diploma and an associate degree. This program is available for students enrolled at certain district high schools and homeschooled students. Classes are taught at the high school (up to 29 credit hours), at an MGCCC campus, and online.

INBRE is a network of colleges and universities, designed to build a biomedical research infrastructure in Mississippi. Its mission is to reach out to Mississippians in order to improve health throughout the state and to engage talented researchers and students in biomedical research projects that will increase the state’s research competitiveness as well as positively impact the health of the citizens of Mississippi.

For more information on how you can get involved INBRE, please contact Dr. Kathryn Morris at kathryn.morris@mgccc.edu) or (228) 897-3752.

For more information about Collegiate Academy, please contact Justin Mills at justin.mills@mgccc.edu or (228) 897-9235.

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Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College is sponsoring the World’s Largest Jambalaya event on Saturday, May 1, noon-7 p.m. at The Pelican in Ocean Springs.  The event, which will provide ham and sausage jambalaya dinners to ticket holders, also includes live music and an auction.

“We are so excited about challenging the World’s Record for the Largest Jambalaya,” said Carin Platt, event coordinator. “The pot that we are cooking the meal in was specially made for the event and is 8 feet wide and 2 and a half feet deep. It should be a great party.”

The second event of its kind held by the college (the first was largest Pulled Pork BBQ in 2018) is designed to raise funds for the college’s food pantries at each campus and center.

“The food pantries at each of the college’s locations help our students through many trying times for them, whether it is food insecurity for just them or for their whole family,” Platt said.  “We provide frozen items, dry and canned goods, and personal hygiene products. We also have pop-up food pantries located around campus to provide snacks for students who need them.”

Platt said food insecurity is much more prevalent on college campuses than most of us like to think. “In a country like the U.S., where you would think everyone had access to proper nourishment, food insecurity is a very real thing.  It affects people in the general public and many students on our college campuses as well.  We don’t want our students to be worried about where their next meal is coming from and want to make sure that they have what they need to succeed in college.”

Platt said meals that are not purchased will be used to feed individuals in nursing homes and homeless shelters along with local first responders.  “We have a team of drivers ready to deliver meals to various nonprofit organizations along the Coast as well as many of our first responders,” Platt said. “As part of the Guinness Book of World Records requirements, we must make sure none of the food goes to waste.”

“We invite everyone to come out to help us set a world’s record, get a great meal and donate a meal to someone in need!  We promise a good time and good food.”

The Pelican is located at 503 Porter Avenue, Ocean Springs, 39564.

Event sponsors include The Pelican, MGCCC Food Pantries, Smithfield Foods, Southern Event & Party, Justin Wilson’s Southern Products, Lynchburg Landing and System Scales Corporation Mobile.

Tickets are $10 per plate.  To purchase tickets, contact one of the following:

• Carin Platt, Jackson County Campus (platt@mgccc.edu)
• Dawn Buckley, Harrison County Campus (buckley@mgccc.edu)
• Katherine Jellum, Perkinston Campus (jellum@mgccc.edu)
• Will Overstreet, George County Center (overstreet@mgccc.edu)
• Stephanie Nguyen, The Bryant Center (nguyen@mgccc.edu)
• Lea Huskey, Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Center (huskey@mgccc.edu)
• Gerren Poole, West Harrison County Center (poole@mgccc.edu)

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Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College biology students will be participating in the fourth annual Zebra Run for Rare Disease on April 17 at Fort Maurepas Park in Ocean Springs. Students from the Jackson County Campus have volunteered at the event every year since its inception.

The event raises funds for research and clinical trials for a rare and and fatal genetic disorder, Multiple Sulfatase Deficiency (MSD). There will be both a One-Mile Fun Run and a 5K Run.  A zebra costume contest and other activities are included.  There is also a virtual race option available.

“My biology and anatomy students study diseases each semester but putting a face to a disease – especially a rare one that receives very little attention and even less funding – changes the dynamics of an assignment,” said Lynn Zimmerman, biology instructor at MGCCC’s Jackson County Campus. “I see students put our motto of Awareness, Education, & Action into practice.  Their energy and determination, coupled with compassion, continues to lift their genetic research from static pages and into the real world.  Our annual Zebra Run is just one of the ways I see my students excel academically, as well as shine as advocates for rare disease.”

Students in the class learn about MSD while they study a variety of genetic disorders and the research that goes into finding cures for them. It is estimated that as few as 100 children worldwide are living with MSD.

In preparation for the Zebra Run, Zimmerman’s biology classes received a visit on April 6 from Amber Olsen, the founder of the nonprofit United MSD Foundation. Olsen is the mother of seven-year-old Willow, who is the only child in Mississippi diagnosed with MSD. The foundation works toward raising $3 million for research and clinical trials for the disease.

Amber told students, “The technology the United MSD Foundation is funding and pushing forward will help other neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.”

One of the projects currently being funded by the Foundation is a Natural History Study that catalogs the disease progression, which costs $300,000 and is required to go to clinical trial.

With the help of scientists and volunteers, the United MSD Foundation has already raised more than $2 million.

“We are fighting to raise funds as the clock is running down quickly for individuals like Willow,” Zimmerman said.  “We are so very close to the funding goal for a gene therapy clinical trial for children.  No matter the time it takes to raise the funds, my students want to help and be there to celebrate saving MSD children, and possibly individuals suffering from other neurological diseases, when that last dollar is raised.”

Registration fee for the Zebra Run is $30 with a swag bag or $15 for race registration only.  

To register or for the event schedule and scholarship opportunities, visit curemsd.org/zebrarun.  

For more information, contact Lynn Zimmerman at madeline.zimmerman@mgccc.edu.

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