HATTIESBURG - University of Southern Mississippi senior Blake Hamm of Stringer and Southern Miss Medical Technology Professor Mary Lux have been honored by the state Legislature with 2003 HEADWAE awards.

In its 15th year, HEADWAE (Higher Education Appreciation Day/Working for Academic Excellence) was established in 1988 by the Mississippi Legislature to honor students for academic achievement and faculty who have contributed to the promotion of academic excellence at each of the state's public and private institutions.

Hamm and Lux were two of 74 students and faculty members from across the state recognized Feb. 18 in Jackson by the Senate and House, and later at an awards luncheon. Each student and faculty honoree is selected for the award by their respective school.

"I want to thank my colleagues throughout the university who were instrumental in my career development," said Lux, a professor in the Southern Miss Department of Medical Technology. "I was honored to have been chosen by the Faculty Senate as the HEADWAE faculty recipient and felt privileged to represent the outstanding faculty at Southern Miss."

Lux is in her 12th year on the Southern Miss faculty and has twice received the university's Excellence in Teaching award. Her teaching emphasis is in clinical microbiology. She is a member of the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science and past division chair for the Mississippi Academy of Sciences.

Hamm, a senior marketing major, is the son of Kenneth and Ann Hamm of Stringer. He has served as Student Government Association president for the current school year and last year was elected Mr. Southern Miss. He has a 3.94 grade-point average, is a member of Golden Key International and is a Julie Cooke Sperber Scholar. He was selected Outstanding Freshman Male and has served on the University Police Advisory Board.

"I'm really honored the university selected me to represent it with an award that recognizes both leadership and academics," Hamm said.

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