Released November 7, 2003

For the week of November 7, 2003

LOTZ NAMED COASTAL SCIENCES CHAIR

OCEAN SPRINGS - Dr. Jeffrey M. Lotz, 54, has been appointed chair of The University of Southern Mississippi's Department of Coastal Sciences, headquartered at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory here. Dr. Rex Gandy, dean of science and technology, announced Lotz's appointment. A veteran researcher and professor of coastal sciences, Lotz joined the ranks of GCRL senior scientists in 1987 and has been a member of the coastal sciences faculty since its organization in 1998. The Eau Claire, Wis., native received his doctorate in zoology from Louisiana State University in 1979 and his bachelor's from the University of Minnesota in 1972. His research focuses on the ecology of parasites and pathogens of marine organisms, marine aquaculture and marine stock enhancement. Lotz and wife Kristin are the parents of two children and reside in Ocean Springs.

-30-

SOUTHERN MISS STUDENTS WITH HABITAT FOR HUMANITY, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
TO HOLD BENEFIT CONCERT

HATTIESBURG - The Habitat for Humanity and Amnesty International student groups at The University of Southern Mississippi will be having a benefit concert Nov. 14, 2003, at The Thirsty Hippo in downtown Hattiesburg. The two student groups have teamed up to raise money for a new Habitat house in the spring of 2004. The benefit concert, titled "Building Freedom," is the first time the two student groups have collaborated in an event of such magnitude. Three bands, including Astrolab, Thomas Jackson and Buffalo Nickel, have agreed to play at the Building Freedom Concert free of charge. The groups are asking for a minimum $5 donation at the door, which will go toward the new Habitat house in the spring. In addition to the concert, the groups will be raffling off T-shirts, CDs and other door prizes throughout the evening. The groups will sell tickets for the raffles for $1 each or $10 for an arm-length of tickets. The money raised through ticket sales will also go toward the new Habitat house in spring 2004. For more information, call one of the following: Greg Gemeinhardt, Habitat for Humanity, (601) 266-5443; Dr. Brian O'Neil, Habitat for Humanity, (601) 266-6494; Hunter Ruffin, Amnesty International, (601) 913-3356 or Dr. Dan Capper, Amnesty International (601) 266-4522.

-30-

TRUMPET ENSEMBLE AND HORN CHOIR TEAM UP FOR CONCERT

HATTIESBURG - The Trumpet Ensemble and Horn Choir at The University of Southern Mississippi will team up Nov. 17 at 6 p.m. in the Mannoni Performing Arts Center auditorium for a fall concert. The Trumpet Ensemble, directed by Dr. Joel Treybig, consists of undergraduate and graduate students in the Southern Miss trumpet studio. The ensemble's portion of the program will feature a variety of music, including a Renaissance "Canzona," a beautiful turn-of-the-century nocturne by George Enesco, and LoPresti's exciting "Suite for Five Trumpets." Doctoral candidate Wayne Linehan will be featured as soloist in an arrangement of Telemann's 2nd Concerto. The ensemble will close with Leroy Anderson's "Bugler's Holiday," a favorite of performers and audiences alike. The Horn Choir, featuring students in the studio of new faculty member Ken Ortlepp, will present its program under the direction of Barbi Van Horn. The program includes Samuel Scheidt's Cantos IV; Englebert Humperdinck's Hansel und Gretel, Prelude-Choral for eight horns; and Kerry Turner's Farewell to Red Castle, Theme and Variations. The concert is free and open to the public.

-30-

PLACIDO DOMINIGO TICKETS NOW ON SALE TO PUBLIC

HATTIESBURG - Individual tickets are now available for the "One Voice. One Orchestra. One Night Only." concert featuring legendary tenor Placido Domingo April 2, 2005, at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum. Domingo will share the stage with The University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Dr. Jay Dean, musical director. The concert is presented by event partners Beau Rivage Resort & Casino and The University of Southern Mississippi. For ticket information, call the Southern Miss Ticket Office at (601) 266-5418 or 1-800-844-8425 or order online at www.usm.edu/ tickets.

-30-

SOUTHERN MISS CONCERT DEVOTED TO
HISTORICAL MUSIC AND INSTRUMENTS

HATTIESBURG - Southern Arts Pro Musica, a performance program devoted to early music and historical instruments at The University of Southern Mississippi, will present its fall concert Nov. 16 in Marsh Auditorium under the direction of Dr. Dana Ragsdale, professor of music in the Southern Miss School of Music. The 2:30 p.m. concert is free and open to the public. For more information, call Ragsdale at (601) 266-6481.

-30-

STUDENT SOLOIST PERFORMS 'SONATA FOR TRUMPET AND STRINGS'

HATTIESBURG - The University of Southern Mississippi graduate student Jake Walburn performed the Mississippi premier of "Sonata for Trumpet and Strings" by Robert J. Bradshaw Nov. 3. at Marsh Auditorium. More than 50 accomplished trumpet soloists across the United States, Britain and South America are performing the piece throughout November, with the World Premier to be held Nov. 16 in Menomonie, Wis., by the Eau Claire Chamber Orchestra. Walburn, a graduate student from Medina, Ohio, is the student of Dr. Joel Treybig, professor of trumpet.

-30-

SATURDAY GIFTED STUDIES PROGRAM DEADLINE EXTENDED

HATTIESBURG - The Saturday Gifted Studies Program will be conducted Jan. 17-Feb. 28, 2004, at The University of Southern Mississippi. The application deadline has been extended. The program is sponsored by Purple Parrot Café and Crescent City Grill. The program is designed to enhance cognitive and affective abilities of gifted students through planned enrichment/acceleration programming. The courses are scheduled for 9 a.m.-noon on each of these Saturdays. Intellectually gifted children or students scoring in the 90th percentile or above at the national level on either the Total Reading, Total Math, Total Language or Total Battery in kindergarten through 12th grade or academically gifted students in grades nine through 12 may apply. The application deadline has been extended. The program cost is $140, which includes tuition, instructional activities, supplies, materials, and limited accident insurance. Applications may be obtained through local school personnel or by contacting The Frances A. Karnes Center for Gifted Studies at Southern Miss, Box 8207, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, telephone (601) 266-5236 or (601) 266-5246, e-mail gifted.studies@usm.edu, or by visiting the Web site at http://www.usm.edu/gifted.

-30-

SMALL BUSINESS WORKSHOPS SET AT SOUTHERN MISS GULF COAST

LONG BEACH - The University of Southern Mississippi will host four workshops during the months of November and December. The workshop "Adobe Software and Digital Cameras for Small Business," will be offered from 9 a.m.-noon, Nov. 8, at the Southern Miss Small Business Development Center Computer Resource Center, at the Gulf Park campus in Long Beach. The workshop is designed to provide hands on experience for beginners who are interested in learning how to download pictures from a digital camera into Adobe software. If you have a camera, bring it with you to this workshop. The early bird fee for this workshop is $89 if you register before Oct. 31. Regular fee is $99 after Oct. 31. The workshop "Be Your Own Boss," will be offered from 9:30 a.m.-noon, Nov. 13, at the Hancock County Chamber of Commerce, 412 Highway 90, Bay St. Louis. The workshop will provide general information on how to start a small business, such as licensing, zoning, business planning and financing. An Internal Revenue Service representative will cover tax information. Instructors for the workshop will be Jill Scafide, from the Southern Miss Small Business Development Center, and Diane Wopat, from the Internal Revenue Service. The fee for this workshop is $20 per person in advance. The workshop, "Creating a Web Page for Your Small Business," will be offered from 9 a.m.-noon, Nov. 15, at the Southern Miss Gulf Coast Small Business Development Center Computer Resource Center, at the Gulf Park campus in Long Beach. The workshop is designed to provide hands on experience creating a Web page for your small business using Dream Weaver software. The early bird fee for this workshop is $89 if you register before Nov. 7. Regular fee is $99 after Nov. 7. The workshop, "Be Your Own Boss," will be offered from 6-8:30 p.m., Dec. 9, at the Gulf Coast Business Technology Center, 1636 Popps Ferry Road, Biloxi. The workshop will provide general information on how to start a small business, such as licensing, zoning, business planning and financing and taxing. Instructors for the course will be Adele Lyons from the Gulf Coast Business Technology Center and Diane Wopat, from the Internal Revenue Service. The fee for this workshop is $20 per person. Seating for all workshops are limited therefore all fees must be paid in advance of attendance. To register and pre-pay the workshop fee for any of the above workshops, mail a check made payable The Southern Miss Small Business Development Center, 143 Beach Park Place, Long Beach, MS 39560. The workshops are subject to cancellation if pre-registration minimums are not met. For more information, please contact the SBDC at (228) 865-4578 or email at jill.scafide@usm.edu.

-30-

CUCOS MAKES DONATION TO
SOUTHERN MISS GULF COAST'S TOY LIBRARY

LONG BEACH - Patrons of Cucos Restaurant in Biloxi have an opportunity to support The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast's Toy Library and Technology Learning Center (TLC) while enjoying Mexican dining each Monday between Nov. 3 and Dec. 8.

The Cucos' cash-back program will donate 10 percent of the net amount of Monday receipts returned to the restaurant during the promotion dates for TLC. The program has become a tradition for Cucos in an effort to offer financial support for organizations in the community that demonstrate need.

The TLC program serves children and adults with disabilities by offering assistant technology to help improve the lives of disabled individuals. The center provides adaptive equipment that can be loaned out to disabled individuals, such as adaptive wheel chairs (beach, all terrain and tennis), fishing equipment, golf cart and clubs (housed at Gulfport's Tramark Golf Course), hand cycles and kayaks. Equipment may be borrowed from TLC or from various locations in South Mississippi.

For more information, contact the Southern Miss Gulf Coast TLC at (228) 867-2636 or at www.usm.edu/tlc. For assistance in contributing directly to Southern Miss Gulf Coast, contact Dave Estorge, USM Foundation development officer, at (228) 214-3282.

-30-